Couples who have previously had a child together remain ineligible for free IVF treatment despite a pledge in last October’s budget to change the situation.
A scheme providing one State-funded cycle of the fertility treatment for couples who meet access criteria was, following years of delays, implemented in September 2023.
A round of IVF can cost up to €10,000, with couples often requiring multiple rounds before conception.
Under the criteria for the initial scheme, parents who had children from their existing relationship were ineligible.
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However, then minister for health Stephen Donnelly announced in October’s budget that access would be expanded this year.
He said the scheme would in future cover donor-assisted IVF, and cases involving “secondary infertility”, where couples with a child are having issues conceiving again.
In a statement, the Department of Health confirmed the service has not been expanded but said access criteria is “being kept under ongoing review”.
“Decisions in respect of any proposed changes to the access criteria or the scheme more broadly require further extensive consultation between department officials, colleagues in the HSE and also with relevant specialists in the field of reproductive medicine,” a spokesman said.
One of those left disappointed by the delay is Eilbhe Kennedy from Naas, Co Kildare. She and her husband - Lee Kennedy - have a four-year-old son and have been trying for a second child for three years.
“I’m 38, time is not on my side; I can’t wait any longer,” she said.
Ms Kennedy said she was delighted when she heard the announcement about changed eligibility for the State-funded scheme.
Although a commencement date was not announced in October, the couple, “like everyone else”, thought the scheme would be extended from January 1st. Knowing that waiting lists were already long, Ms Kennedy applied in December and received an acknowledgement of her application in January.
“I was being proactive, it takes so long to get seen.”
There are six fertility hubs in Ireland, with the Kennedy’s nearest at the Coombe Hospital, Dublin.
Ms Kennedy said her application was rejected initially as her body mass index was regarded as being too low. She had to gain some weight and repeat the process before being accepted.
Two months later she had an appointment at the fertility hub and was told the couple were not eligible for the free scheme as she and her husband already had a child.
Ms Kennedy said she explained that things were meant to be changing in line with the budget announcement, but was told “there are a lot of people like you but there is no movement yet”. She was then discharged.
“The funding may have been announced, but families like mine are still being denied access to treatment,” Ms Kennedy said.
“Some people were strung on more than me. They had two or three appointments at the fertility hub and then were told they are not eligible.”
Ms Kennedy said “secondary infertility is devastating” but she feels the issue is “being ignored in Ireland”.
She said someone with a child can access the free scheme if they are seeking to conceive with a new partner. “You’re being punished for being with the same person. It’s a mess.”
A department spokesman said couples with at least one child in their current relationship “may be able to avail of such treatment under changes to the relevant criterion being actively worked on” by officials.
An additional €35 million was allocated for the expansion of the IVF scheme and free hormone replacement therapy (HRT) medication in last year’s budget, described as the “women’s health package” at the time.
The introduction of free HRT was delayed due to negotiations between the Irish Pharmacy Union and the department. The scheme, which was supposed to be introduced in January, will now be implemented from June 1st.
In the absence of access to the free scheme, the Kennedys are planning to go to Prague, Czechia, to seek IVF treatment as they cannot afford the costs in Ireland.
“We’ve spent €15,000 on tests and treatments," Ms Kennedy said. “I don’t think I’m entitled to free IVF, it’s just when they said it, I got my hopes up.”
Ms Kennedy has shared her fertility story on social media and says many Irish couples are struggling to conceive even though not too many openly discuss it.
“It’s people you’d never think of. I’ve had old friends from school and other women sending me private messages and commenting on my videos,” she said. “I want to fight for everyone else, so other people don’t end up in the same situation as me.”
