If you need specialist treatment to help you get pregnant you may be able to get it for free.
The treatments are:
Getting free IUI, IVF and ICSI
To get free IUI, IVF or ICSI:
- your GP or consultant must refer you to a regional fertility hub
- your consultant at the regional fertility hub must recommend the treatment
- you and your partner must meet all access criteria
Your consultant at the regional fertility hub may recommend IUI, IVF or ICSI if:
- you or your partner do not get pregnant after having other fertility treatment
- tests show this is the treatment you need
We work with private fertility clinics. We may be able to refer you to 1 of these to get the specialist fertility treatment you need for free.
You cannot get this treatment for free yet if you need donor eggs or sperm.
Access criteria
To access free IUI, IVF or ICSI treatment you and your partner must meet all the access criteria.
The access criteria are around:
- residency
- age
- children
- number of parents
- relationship length
- sterilisation
- previous IVF treatment
- body mass index (BMI)
- lifestyle
Residency
You must be resident in the Republic of Ireland.
Referral to regional fertility hub
You can only be referred to a regional fertility hub by a GP or consultant.
Age
You must be age 18 or over.
Your age when your GP or consultant referred you to the regional fertility hub must be:
- 40 or under if you're a woman
- 59 or under if you're a man
Age criteria for tests and other treatment
Children
You must have no living children together. Only 1 of you can have a living child.
This includes children you:
- adopted
- are the biological parent of
- plan to be parent of in a surrogacy arrangement
- are non-birth mother to in a same-sex female relationship
Number of parents
Only 2 people can plan to be parents to the child.
Relationship length
You must be in a relationship with your partner for at least 1 year.
Sterilisation
You must never have had a sterilisation procedure to prevent pregnancy.
This includes:
- vasectomy
- blocking or sealing your fallopian tubes (tubal ligation)
Previous IVF treatment
You can get treatment if any of these apply:
- you have not had IVF
- you had 1 round of IVF before and have no unused embryos still in storage
- you started tests for IVF but have not started taking IVF medicine
BMI
You must have a BMI of between 18.5 and 30, if you are a woman.
Lifestyle
If you plan to be the birth mother you must drink no more than 1 or 2 standard drinks up to 2 times a week.
If you plan to use your sperm for fertility treatment you must drink no more than 3 to 4 standard drinks and no more that 10 standard drinks a week.
You must not smoke or have smoked in the last 3 months.
You must not take recreational drugs or have taken any for at least 3 months.
If you meet the access criteria
Even if you meet the access criteria your consultant at the regional fertility hub will have to recommend this treatment.
If they do, you:
- choose the clinic you want to use from the clinics we work with
- must sign a consent form to say you are happy for a referral to be made to the private fertility clinics you choose and that your details can be shared with them
- can get IUI up to 3 times and IVF or ICSI once for free
Each time you get treatment is called a 'round' or a 'cycle'. A round of treatment is made up of cycles.
If you do not meet the access criteria
You may be able to get other fertility treatments at a regional fertility hub if you do not meet the access criteria.
These treatments do not include free IUI, IVF or ICSI. But they may still help you have a baby.
You can get a referral for other tests and treatment if you:
- are a woman age 41 or 42
- have a BMI below 35
Accessing other types of treatments and tests at a regional fertility hub
If you need donor eggs and sperm
Free IUI, IVF or ICSI are not available if you:
- cannot use your own eggs or sperm
- are in a same-sex couple
- are single
When these free treatments become available we will update the information on who can get free IUI, IVF and ICSI.
If you need donor eggs or sperm, you can get this treatment privately. Private treatment is not free. You'll have to pay for it.
If you have health insurance, they may pay for some of the treatment costs.
If you have had HSE fertility tests or treatment in the past
You may still be able to access free IUI, IVF or ICSI if you were previously discharged from a regional fertility hub.
If you were discharged:
- before 1 March 2023 - go to your GP to get a new referral to a regional fertility hub
- after 1 March 2023 - contact the regional fertility hub and ask for a review appointment