Couples who wish to undergo fertility treatment are to be publicly funded by the State, the Minister for Health has announced.

As many as one in six couples have problems conceiving and those who wish to undergo fertility treatment, such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF), have to pay for this privately. One round of IVF costs in the region of €4,000-€5,000.

However Health Minister, Leo Varadkar, has announced his intention to provide public funding for fertility treatment, in conjunction with the planned introduction of legislation in this area.

"I believe it is important that we should consider how best to provide public funding for fertility treatment in tandem with closing the current legislative gap in this area of healthcare. Fertility treatments should be funded in such a way that not only maximises efficiency, but which ensures equity of access as well," the Minister commented.

However, he emphasised that such public funding ‘must be accompanied by a robust system of legal governance, which will promote and protect the health and wellbeing of patients and most especially, the children who will be born as a result of the treatment'.

The way in which this funding is made available has not yet been decided. The Department of Health is commissioning an evidence review of public funding models used in other parts of the world and this review ‘will inform policy regarding the optimal mechanism for any future public funding of assisted human reproduction in the State'.

The department reminded people that in the mean time, while fertility treatment is not available publicly, some financial support is available for individuals, such as via tax relief for medical expenses and the cost of some fertility medicines under the Medical Card and Drugs Payment Schemes.