Fertility Medications and Supplements Webinar
Ireland's recent expansion of state-funded IVF to include couples with one child has suddenly made publicly supported fertility treatment accessible to thousands more facing secondary infertility, just as the first full public AHR centre nears operation in 2026.
Key takeaways
- •In June 2025, the eligibility criteria for Ireland's public assisted human reproduction (AHR) funding broadened to cover couples with one existing child, allowing them one full cycle of IVF or ICSI if they meet other requirements.
- •Over 3,600 couples had been referred for state-funded AHR treatment by the end of 2025, reflecting growing uptake since the model's rollout began in late 2023, amid persistently declining national birth rates and ageing maternal demographics.
- •The shift heightens pressure on medication access and pharmacist guidance, as funded treatments increase demand for fertility drugs and supplements whose costs are partially covered under schemes like the Drugs Payment Scheme but still pose financial and supply risks.
Expanding Access Amid Demographic Strain
Ireland's Model of Care for Fertility, rolled out progressively since September 2023, represents the country's first structured public pathway for infertility support. Referrals flow from GPs to six regional fertility hubs for initial assessments and lower-level interventions, with eligible patients advanced to assisted human reproduction (AHR) treatments such as IVF, ICSI, or IUI provided through approved private clinics at no direct cost to qualifying couples.
A pivotal change came on 30 June 2025, when Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill extended eligibility to couples with one child in their current relationship experiencing secondary infertility. Previously limited to those with no children together, the scheme now reaches a larger group, provided they satisfy other criteria including age, BMI, relationship duration, and residency requirements.
By late 2025, more than 3,600 couples had entered the AHR referral stream, up significantly from earlier figures, signalling both pent-up demand and the scheme's gradual scaling. This occurs against a backdrop of Ireland's falling fertility rate—down to levels threatening long-term demographic balance—and the oldest average maternal age in the EU, driven by career priorities, housing costs, and delayed family formation.
The stakes are tangible. Private IVF cycles previously cost couples €7,000 or more, often pushing them abroad to jurisdictions like the Czech Republic or Greece. Public funding caps medication expenses (for example, at €80 monthly under the Drugs Payment Scheme for many) and covers treatment itself, but only for one cycle in most cases. Non-eligible patients or those needing additional cycles still face steep out-of-pocket burdens, while exclusions persist for same-sex couples, single parents, and those requiring donor gametes pending further regulatory or policy shifts.
Tensions lie in the uneven rollout and remaining restrictions. The Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 promises a new regulatory authority to standardise providers and potentially broaden scope, but its full implementation—including oversight of supplements and medications—remains in progress. Meanwhile, rising referrals strain hub capacity, and broader societal trends (including economic pressures and emigration) continue to suppress birth numbers, making optimised support for fertility medications and supplements more pressing for pharmacists and patients navigating treatment protocols.
Sources
- https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-health/press-releases/minister-for-health-announces-expansion-eligibility-of-access-criteria-for-state-funded-assisted-human-reproduction-treatments
- https://www.progress.org.uk/ireland-extends-state-funded-ivf-to-couples-with-one-child
- https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2026-01-20/994
- https://www2.hse.ie/pregnancy-birth/trying-for-a-baby/your-fertility/getting-ivf-icsi-iui-hse
- https://www.irishtimes.com/health/2025/05/22/i-cant-wait-any-longer-expansion-of-free-ivf-scheme-to-couples-with-a-child-yet-to-come-into-effect
- https://www.thejournal.ie/ivf-hse-secondary-infertility-6727696-Jun2025
- https://repromed.ie/fertility-hub/budget-2025-free-ivf