Infertility support group calls for legislation to be enacted to allow for publicly funded IVF scheme
A support and information group for people going through infertility says it is 'anxious' to see progress on implementing legislation on assisted human reproduction.
It comes as moves are under way to appoint board members to the new assisted human reproduction regulatory authority being established under the Assisted Human Reproduction Act signed into law last July.
In response to a parliamentary question on May 1, health minister Jennifer Carroll-McNeill said she could not 'give a definitive timeline for the commencement of the legislation at this time'.
As well as establishing the authority, the legislation covers both domestic and international surrogacy. It will ensure surrogacy is standardised and has oversight enforcing strict statutory provisions regarding gamete and embryo storage, research and testing.
It will also incorporate regulation for pre-implantation genetic testing of embryos; posthumous assisted human reproduction in the private system; and embryo and stem cell research.
The Department of Health advertised last month for membership of the regulatory authority's board.
Caitríona Fitzpatrick of the National Infertility Support and Information Group said: 'There was a number of commitments made in the budget last year around the expansion of the publicly-funded IVF scheme and they have not taken place yet.
"So that is the first thing we are looking to see some progress on and they would have been announced to take place in 2025. We are now nearly six months into 2025 and we are not any closer to knowing when that is going to happen.
A lot of that would be around donor conception being part of the publicly funded IVF scheme and our understanding is that some of that is premised on the legislation being commenced.
She said while the establishment of the authority was now under way, 'there will be another number of steps around funding, staffing and structures, so that, I would assume, will take until the end of this year'.
Ms Fitzpatrick said progress had always been slow in the area of assisted human reproduction, however.
'The first time that legislation was mooted in that area was 2005 so it is now 20 years later. There was certainly a sigh of relief that the legislation was completed in the last government because the legislation was originally drafted in 2017, then it was redrafted again after the surrogacy committee took place so there was a lot of steps involved in getting that legislation over the line in 2024,' she said.
'Progress in this area was always very slow. If you look at the first committee that ever looked at this was in 2000 and they reported in 2005 and then it took 20 years for legislation to come about.'
She welcomed the inclusion of assisted human reproduction in party election manifestos as well as in the programme for government, showing a will to tackle the area.
While acknowledging it is a complicated area with a lot of elements to be included, Ms Fitzpatrick said: 'We are really keen to see the publicly-funded scheme broadened outside of the legislation.'
Read More
Cork students campaign to break stigma around miscarriage and infertility in schools
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
‘Simple and straightforward': The €4,500 naming of the National Children's Hospital Ireland
This week it was announced that the long-awaited new children's hospital will be called ... the National Children's Hospital Ireland. Okay, that's not exactly original, is it? According to a statement from the Department of Health , the name was chosen as it reflects 'the vision of the new hospital being a hub in a national network of paediatric care'. The hospital, which has been beset by delays and will cost €2.24 billion, will work with regional and local paediatric units to ensure equitable access to healthcare for all children. This process was done through engagement with 'stakeholders', including the youth advisory council, the department said. READ MORE According to Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill , it was important to ensure the name was simple and straightforward – so worried parents would end up exactly where they want to go, regardless of any potential language barriers. [ 'We have planned everything:' Inside the new national children's hospital Opens in new window ] How much did the naming process cost? Some €4,500, according to the Department of Health. But wait, wasn't that always the name? You would be forgiven for thinking that given the way people refer to the healthcare centre as simply the new children's hospital. But, in fact, it has been unnamed until now. Carroll MacNeill has acknowledged most people are likely to continue calling it the children's hospital – as they do now. [ National children's hospital: Completion delayed until at least September Opens in new window ] Were there issues with naming the hospital previously? There was a bit of a drama around the name of the hospital in 2017. In October of that year, the then minister for health Simon Harris announced the hospital would be known as Phoenix Children's Hospital Ireland. However, Phoenix Children's Hospital in Arizona warned Harris it would be compelled to take legal action if the new national children's hospital in Dublin went ahead with plans to use a similar name. He subsequently said there would be a rethink about the name. Were there other names put forward? According to the department, there were 17 names in the mix. The most vocal campaign was for the hospital to be named after Kathleen Lynn – a doctor and political activist who was involved in both the 1913 Lockout and the 1916 Easter Rising. An online campaign, which amassed just under 6,000 signatures, said: 'Dr Lynn was an incredible woman, revolutionary and role model. She did so much to improve the lives of children in Ireland and she deserves to be recognised. Nothing would be more fitting than a children's hospital named in her honour.' So will there be any mention of Dr Lynn in the new hospital? Carroll MacNeill has said she would like to name something within the facility after her, such as a wing or auditorium.
Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Irish Examiner
Hospitals dashboard data must be seen in proper context, say consultants
Consultants have warned that Irish hospitals are facing 'a capacity crisis' and have argued system change is needed rather than focusing on any one profession. This is in response to the Department of Health's new productivity dashboard which went online on Thursday. Among the data made public for the first time is the number of out-patient appointments per consultant per year. The data shows this stood at 1,686 in 2016 when the workforce was 1,812 doctors. Last year this reached 1,216 and the workforce was 3,061 doctors. 'Proper context' The Irish Hospital Consultants Association said it welcomes the focus on transparency but called for 'proper context' to the figures. It said the OECD does not see the number of doctor consultations per person as a valid measure of productivity. The IHCA said: Consultations differ in complexity, duration and impact, and the metric fails to reflect the significant volume of care provided to hospital inpatients, as well as time spent on diagnostics, research, clinical governance and administration. It called for analysis to reflect outcomes not just the volume of patients. The doctors called for investment in 'diagnostic staff, modernised outpatient scheduling, faster turnaround for test results, and the expansion of multidisciplinary support teams'. They argued the problems are 'fundamentally a capacity crisis, not a productivity issue involving any one group of staff'. It added: 'We are absolutely committed to doing more, but we cannot do it alone.' The dashboard, which can be read on the Department of Health's website, also looks at individual hospital productivity. Department officials said they would not say 'there is one clear winner' among hospitals. They said however the analysis showed University Hospital Limerick, Connolly Hospital and Tallaght University Hospital were the best performers based on their starting positions. A graph with this data shows levels of investment, recruitment and care given excluding work in emergency departments between 2019 and 2024. This shows University Hospital Limerick had the greatest increase in activity at 36%, following a 43% increase in workforce and 58% increase in funding in those years. In that time also University Hospital Waterford saw an increase in activity of 17%, following also a 43% rise in staffing and 57% increase in spending. Cork University Hospital had an increase in activity of 13%, following a 64% increase in funding and 32% increase in staffing numbers during that time. • You will find a link to the hospitals dashboard on this page on the Department of Health website. Read More Online hospital dashboard lets public view a wealth of current Irish health data
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Irish Independent
Temporary sick leave scheme for health workers with long Covid extended for six months
After that, they will return to standard public service sick leave arrangements. The move comes after Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill accepted a Labour Court recommendation yesterday to extend the temporary scheme to December 31. However, the court rejected health unions' key demand that a special occupational sick pay scheme should be set up on a permanent basis for workers suffering from Long Covid. There are around 159 employees on the temporary special scheme, which was due to end on June 30. 'The minister fully supports the decision and will now move to ensure the scheme is extended as per the Labour Court recommendation,' said the department in a statement. A temporary 12-month special paid leave scheme was introduced in July 2022 for employees suffering from long Covid. The scheme aimed to support staff working in environments where they could be exposed to Covid before PPE and vaccinations were readily available. Albert Murphy, Chairperson of the Ictu Group of Healthcare Unions, said the workers get full basic pay under the temporary long Covid sick pay scheme. If the court had recommended unions' demand for a special occupational scheme, the workers be entitled to two further extensions of paid leave, and possibly further extensions subject to medical assessments. The court dismissed the creation of a special occupational scheme on the grounds that Covid-19 and long Covid are not considered occupational illnesses or an injury at work in this jurisdiction. As a result, it said it could not decide otherwise. 'The court is saying its hands are tied because long Covid is not considered an occupational illness, but we are saying the ball is back with the government and it should remove that obstacle,' said Mr Murphy. The court said there was a dispute over the scheme between the Department of Health, HSE and healthcare workers represented by Siptu, Fórsa, the IMO and INMO. It said it arose in relation to the unions' claim for an Occupational Illness Scheme, similar to a Blood Borne Disease scheme, for sufferers of long Covid. The court said the unions also want the establishment of a scheme for other long Covid sufferers who are excluded form a Special Leave with Pay Scheme. 'Any recommendation that the court makes has to be based on the fact, that at this point in time, Covid-19 and long Covid are not considered occupational illnesses or an injury at work in this jurisdiction,' it said. 'It is not within the gift of the Labour Court to determine otherwise.' The unions said as of January this year, there are 159 employees receiving a temporary scheme of paid leave. This equals less than 0.01pc of health workers.
