It is currently unclear how long it will take to obtain an appointment at a Regional Fertility Hub, once referred by your GP.

As with all Publicly Provided Healthcare, it will likely depend on the demand for the service.

There are currently six Regional Fertility Hubs.

• Three are located in Dublin (The National Maternity Hospital on Holles Street, The Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital and The Rotunda)
• One is located in Cork (Cork University Maternity Hospital)
• One is located in Galway (University Hospital Galway)
• One is located in Nenagh, Tipperary (Nenagh Hospital)

1. Check you meet the criteria outlined above.
2. Make an appointment with your GP who can perform initial tests and offer advice.
3. Your GP may then refer you to a HSE Regional Fertility Hub. There are currently six hubs in Ireland. You cannot refer yourself to a Regional Fertility Hub.
4. The Regional Fertility Hub will assess you at your appointment and can perform a wider range of diagnostic tests, interventions and treatments if deemed necessary. It is currently unclear how long it will take to obtain an appointment time, but as with all Publicly Provided Healthcare, it will likely depend on the demand for the service.
5. If your Consultant at the Regional Fertility Hub deems that advanced treatment such as IVF, ICSI or IUI is clinically indicated, eligible patients will then be referred to a HSE-Approved Private Fertility Clinic of their choice. (Thérapie Fertility is a HSE-Approved Fertility Clinic).
6. The Private Fertility Clinic will then take over the care of the patient.

Treatments that are not covered by this scheme partially include:

• Genetic Testing of Embryos
• Treatments involving Donor Eggs
• Treatments involving Donor Sperm.
• Egg Freezing

The HSE states that “assisted conception will become available in the future to people who need to use donor eggs and sperm when required regulation is in place”.

• One full cycle of IVF
• 1 round of ICSI
• 3 rounds of IUI

To be considered for this free scheme, the HSE have outlined the following eligibility criteria:

• Women must be aged 40 or under. Men must be aged 59 or under
• Women need to have a BMI of between 18.5 and 30
• Be a resident of the Republic of Ireland
• Be in a relationship with your partner for at least 1 year
• Have never had a voluntary sterilisation procedure to prevent pregnancy. This includes blocking or sealing your fallopian tubes or having a vasectomy
• Have no living children with your current partner. This includes any children to whom you are a legal guardian
• You cannot access this free treatment if you have had more than 1 round of IVF previously, or have unused embryos in storage
• At least one partner must not have a living child
• Lifestyle: All intending parents should:
• Be non-smoking for at least three months
• Be non-users of recreational drugs for at least three months
• Have no more than one or two standard alcoholic drinks once or twice per week for the female.
• Have no more than three to four standard drinks per-day for the male. Ideally, ten or fewer standard drinks should be consumed over a week for the male