Centre to assist human reproduction set to open in Cork

A centre for assisted human reproduction (AHR), including IVF treatments, is set to commence service provision in Cork later this year, and will be the first centre of its kind in Ireland.

Health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said in the Dáil last week: “Ireland’s first public AHR centre is scheduled to open in Cork later this year. It is anticipated to commence service provision in late 2025 and expected to be fully operational in 2026.”

The new centre is part of a Model of Care for Fertility which was developed by the Department of Health in conjunction with the HSE’s National Women & Infants Health Programme to ensure that fertility-related issues are addressed through the public health system.

This Model of Care comprises of three elements, starting in primary care (GPs) and extending into secondary care, through six regional fertility hubs, one of which is in Cork. The third stage is assisted human reproduction treatment such as IVF and ICSI (intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection).

Currently, funding has been made available to access to AHR treatment via HSE-approved private providers. Referrals for publicly-funded, privately-provided AHR treatment commenced in September 2023.

As well as IVF and ICSI, this allocation is also being used to provide IUI (intrauterine insemination), which Ms Carroll MacNeill said “can, for certain cohorts of people, be a potentially effective, yet less complex and less intrusive form of treatment”.

A HSE spokesperson told The Echo: “Assisted human reproduction services at Cork University Maternity Hospital, based at the Lee Road Clinic, are being established in a phased manner.”

They explained that the CUMH fertility hub is part of the national network of six fertility hubs, and currently available services include outpatient department appointments and consultations, and Hysterosalpingo-Contrast Sonography, a non-invasive ultrasound procedure used to investigate infertility by assessing the uterus and fallopian tubes.

The spokesperson added: “Further expansion of services is planned, subject to approval from the HPRA, including the introduction of semen analysis and IUI.

“The development of an IVF service is also under way and is expected to be fully operational in 2026. We remain committed to ensuring that individuals and couples requiring fertility care can access appropriate services as they become available.”