Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 October 2009
175 Deputy Maureen O’Sullivan asked the Minister for Health and Children the rationale behind the system of limiting IVF patients to three full cycles under the drugs payment scheme; if she will issue guidelines for doctors to follow and ensure independent monitoring of decisions and procedures; and if success rates will be recorded as is undertaken in other countries. [35466/09]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Health Service Executive (HSE) transferred a defined list of fertility medicines to the High Tech Scheme from the Drug Payment Scheme in March 2009. This was put in place to improve governance arrangements for monitoring usage and prescribing patterns as patients must be authorised in advance by the HSE under the High Tech Scheme. The HSE advised prescribers in registered fertility clinics that it considered three full cycles of IVF an appropriate benchmark for funding. Some registered clinics already operate such a benchmark to avoid over-stimulation of the ovaries, which can have serious consequences for the patient in question. The HSE advises that no patient has been refused authorisation under the High Tech Scheme to date.
There is no legislation in Ireland that deals specifically with the area of Assisted Human Reproduction. A Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction examined the possible approaches to the regulation of all aspects of this area and the social, ethical and legal factors to be taken into account in determining public policy. The Commission's report was referred by the Government to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children in 2005.
My Department is developing an appropriate regulatory framework which would involve legislation for the area of Assisted Human Reproduction. The work involves, inter alia, examining the approaches to regulation in other jurisdictions and considering the ethical and legal issues that arise. It will also take into account the report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children on this area — when completed — and an expected judgment of the Supreme Court in the RvR (frozen embryos) case. In the meantime, I do not propose to issue guidelines on the matters raised by the Deputy.
