Government accused of ‘betrayal' of women as IVF scheme expansion delayed
The Government has been accused of another 'betrayal' of women as the expansion of the free IVF scheme has been delayed indefinitely.
In last October's budget, plans were announced to expand the free IVF measure to couples who already have children as part of a 'women's health scheme'.
Seven months on, the scheme is no closer to taking effect, and couples have been taking part in a 'gruelling' application process that can take six months, only to be told they are not yet eligible. Pic: Getty Images
The Department of Health told Extra.ie it could not provide a date for when the scheme would be up and running.
However, Extra.ie has learned that the department is still in discussions with the HSE and other stakeholders to 'iron out any kinks' that may arise from its implementation.
The 'women's health scheme' also included promises of free hormone replacement therapy (HRT), used to treat menopause, but this was also shrouded in controversy, with women having to foot the cost of the medication until June 1.
Opposition TDs have now criticised the Department of Health for once again 'making promises first and working out the details later'.
Senior Government sources have also criticised the delays, saying the legislation to expand the scheme should have been 'a quick fix'. Labour's health spokeswoman Marie Sherlock. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos
Labour's health spokeswoman Marie Sherlock said the failure to follow through on budget promises to reform women's health care 'smacks of tokenism'.
She said including couples with children and those requiring donor assistance 'should be straightforward' from a legal perspective.
The TD described the expansion of the scheme as 'another commitment in Budget 2025 that has fallen off the wagon', referencing the botched 'free' HRT rollout.
'The Government seems to have a habit of making promises first and working out the details later, and it is just not fair,' she said. 'This is the second instance where this has happened in policies for women's healthcare. The failure to follow through on these promises smacks of tokenism.'
Ms Sherlock acknowledged that there is an onus on the Coalition to 'get it right' when it comes to legislation. Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos
'But we cannot keep having instances where things are dragging on indeterminately,' she said.
Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane said that the 'failure to follow through on budget announcements' is 'a betrayal of promises and [is] happening too often'.
Mr Cullinane highlighted thousands of children born through surrogacy who are awaiting formal retrospective recognition of their parentage in Ireland, but who have not yet received it due to complexities in the Assisted Human Reproduction Act 2024.
'We have seen numerous examples where policy commitments are being made without the i's crossed and the t's dotted. Here we go again with IVF,' he said.
Government TDs have also called for Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill to review what is causing delays in the expansion of the scheme. Fianna Fáil backbencher Catherine Ardagh. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos
Fianna Fáil backbencher Catherine Ardagh has previously disclosed the 'emotional struggle' of going through five rounds of IVF before giving birth to twin boys.
Ms Ardagh said that she is frequently contacted by couples who are hoping to qualify for the State scheme, adding that IVF should be viewed as 'general healthcare'.
She told Extra.ie: 'When this was first introduced, there were stringent obstacles to qualify – but it was very much described as a starting point with further expansion promised.
'I would like to see this measure reviewed so we can understand what is causing the delay and how to fix it.'
In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a fertility treatment used for couples struggling to conceive naturally. One round of IVF can cost up to €10,000, with couples often requiring multiple rounds before conception is achieved. Pic: Getty Images
Former health minister Stephen Donnelly announced the State's first publicly funded IVF scheme in 2023, which included rigid eligibility criteria and allowed for one single state-subsidised round of the treatment.
Among these was the requirement for women to be below the age of 40, to have a specific BMI (body mass index) and to have been with their partner for more than one year.
Medical practitioners took particular issue with the 'existing child' limit, whereby couples who already had a child together could not qualify for the scheme.
Following criticism, Mr Donnelly confirmed in last October's budget that he would expand the IVF scheme to include couples with children, in addition to couples requiring egg or sperm donations.
While no deadline was set for this measure, an additional € 35 million was allocated for the expansion of the IVF scheme and free HRT medication. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly. Pic: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie
Mr Donnelly previously told the Dáil that an estimated € 20 million would be allocated towards the HRT provision.
Ms Carroll MacNeill told the Dáil in February that the publicly funded IVF scheme has been 'very successful overall', with 1,900 couples being referred for fertility treatments as of February 21.
But she said that the access to the scheme is 'being kept under ongoing review' and requires 'further extensive consultation'.
Like the HRT scheme, which will now be rolled out on June 1, the expansion of the free IVF scheme was championed by Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael during the election campaign.
When asked what is causing the delay to the expansion of the IVF scheme, a spokesman for the Department of Health said that 'access criteria and the scheme are being kept under ongoing review', adding: '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 with relevant specialists in the field of reproductive medicine.
'Couples with at least one existing child in their current relationship are currently not eligible to avail of publicly funded AHR [assisted human reproduction] treatment,' he said.
A well-placed source said discussions between the department and stakeholders remain 'active' but could not disclose when the scheme may be implemented.
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