Women's Health
Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-04
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Patricia Stephenson (SD), Labour Panel

It would be great if the Minister could answer some of my other questions, particularly that important piece about fertility.
I am delighted to hear that there is a time limit for introducing this scheme. Best efforts are being made but with the reality of training and building up expertise, will we get there in two years? I suppose that is why the feedback from patients has been to ask for the scheme to work as well as possible for patients while it exists. I recognise that it is a bridge until the end goals of the framework can be put in place.
About 20 hospitals in the UK are on the scheme but I have spoken to clinicians who say that these are not particularly renowned hospitals. I appreciate that these hospitals might fall, under a certain amount of criteria from British medical guidance, but clinicians here are not sure if they will take Irish patients or if these are hospitals of renown. There is confusion among clinicians about how to refer and when to refer and on the quality of the hospitals. I recognise that there have been study abroad opportunities to build up that expertise. I think that is incredibly positive and thank the Minister.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-04/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:35+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-04