Funds to help couples access IVF were announced in the budget. The state funding will help those going through the costly process of assisted reproduction. A single cycle of IVF can cost between €7,000 and €10,000. Here, Fianna Fail senator Catherine Ardagh welcomes the move, having had her twin boys Darragh Og and Sean through IVF in December 2019.
To those struggling to conceive naturally, my heart goes out to you. I've been that soldier - along with my husband Darragh - and I know it becomes all consuming.
The budget measures announced will allow for publicly funded IVF on a phased basis, due to commence late next year. My hope and ambition is a fully funded IVF scheme, delivered in public hospitals.
The announcement is a step in the right direction. The scientific data indicates at least one in six couples struggle with infertility.
The budget measures give a clear indication of the Government’s intent to build up capacity in the Assisted Human Reproduction sphere.
This budget is proof Government is listening to those who have advocated for this funding to be put in place. The costs associated with IVF are enormous and should not be a barrier for people to have a shot at becoming pregnant.
I decided to publicise my own IVF journey previously because I want a fundamental change in how the State treats those going through fertility challenges.
We need a broader discussion around the topic and to end the stigma and loneliness associated with it.
In our case, our fifth attempt at IVF worked out. We hit the jackpot. I gave birth to two baby boys on December 29, 2019 in the Coombe Hospital in Dublin.
At the end of the process, we had spent tens of thousands of euro. I want to see others who are not able to pay privately for IVF to get the support from the state in the form of fee IVF provided in our public hospitals.
The move by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly is a step forward in the state alleviating the financial pressure and worries faced by couples trying to access IVF.
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