Budget 2023: IVF to be publicly funded and free contraception for under 30s

It is expected to come in next year.

IVF is set to be made publicly funded as well as contraception for women under 30 to be made free as this year's Budget is unveiled today. This will be the first time in the history of the state that IVF will be funded this way, with adult hospital in-patient fees also expected to be abolished, according to The Irish Daily Mail. The scheme is expected to begin next year, with all women under 30 also able to avail of free contraception from next year. Women under 25 have been able to avail of this after new measures came in last month. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly last night is reported to have secured multi-million euro funding for a phased introduction of IVF to begin in 2023. Ireland is the only country in the EU that does not offer State-funded assistance when it comes to IVF services. IVF treatment currently costs between €4,000 and €5,000. The Budget is set to be announced today as the Oireachtas works on the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill which will allow for this new scheme to go through. Adult inpatient charges are also expected to be removed which will allow patients to save around €800 each year. Public inpatient charges for children under 16 were abolished last week after Donnelly's proposals were signed off by Cabinet last week. According to sources in the Irish Daily Mail, free contraception is to be increased to women under 30, and speaking at a press conference earlier this month, Donnelly said he would "love to see everyone eligible" for free contraception. He said: "That’s where we need to go. More broadly, we need to substantially increase access in terms of affordability to primary care in the country. I’d like to see progress made year on year. I think we have to keep up momentum on this." Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe's Budget 2023 speech is expected to start in the Dáil at 1 pm today.