Table 1 Comparison of medical practice guideline sections related to assisted fertility treatments in the Republic of Ireland, as issued by the Commission for Assisted Human Reproduction and the Medical Council

Agency, accreditation, and data tracking

[none]

20.2 Assisted reproduction services should only be provided by suitably qualified professionals, in appropriate facilities, and according to international best practice. Regular clinical audit and follow-up of outcomes should be the norm.

1. A regulatory body should be established by an Act of the Oireachtas to regulate AHR services in Ireland.

2. National statistics on the outcome of AHR techniques in Ireland should be compiled and made available to the public.

3. Longitudinal studies of children born as a result of AHR should be established, in accordance with standard ethical/legal requirements and with the consent of families, in order to facilitate long-term monitoring.

Gamete donation

24.4 [...] Doctors who consider assisting with donation to a third party must have regard to the biological difficulties involved, and pay meticulous attention to the source of the donated material.

24.5 [...] If couples have validly decided they do not wish to make use of their own fertilised ova, the potential for voluntary donation to other recipients may be considered.

20.3 If you offer donor programmes to patients, you must consider the biological difficulties involved and pay particular attention to the source of the donated material. Such donations should be altruistic and non-commercial. You should keep accurate records for future reference.

10. Appropriate guidelines should be put in place by the regulatory body to govern the options available for excess frozen embryos. These would include voluntary donation of excess healthy embryos to other recipients, voluntary donation for research or allowing them to perish.

19. Donation of sperm, ova and embryos should be permitted and should be subject to regulation by the regulatory body.

21. Appropriate guidelines should be put in place to govern the selection of donors; to screen for genetic disorders and infectious disease; to set age limits for donors and to set an appropriate limit on the number of children to be born by the use of sperm or ova from a single donor.

23. Donors should not be paid nor should recipients be charged for donations per se. This does not preclude payment of reasonable expenses and payment for AHR services.

Counselling

24.5 [...] Prior to fertilisation of an ovum, extensive discussion and counseling is essential.

20.1 [...] You should ensure that appropriate counseling has been offered to the patient [...]

12. Counselling should be provided before, during and after treatment to those considering AHR treatment so that they are adequately informed of the risks involved, the potential benefits that may be obtained, and the possibility of success in their particular situation. Suitably qualified professionals should adequately convey the complex medical and scientific ramifications of different treatment approaches in verbal and written form.

Embryo destruction

24.5 [...] Any fertilised ovum must be used for normal implantation and must not be deliberately destroyed.

[Repealed]

10. Appropriate guidelines should be put in place by the regulatory body to govern the options available for excess frozen embryos. These would include [...] allowing them to perish.

IVF indications

24.5 Techniques such as IVF should only be used after thorough investigation has failed to reveal a treatable cause for the infertility.

20.1 Assisted human reproduction treatments, such as IVF, should only be used after thorough investigation has shown that no other treatment is likely to be effective.

17. Services should be available without discrimination on the grounds of gender, marital status or sexual orientation subject to consideration of the best interests of any children that may be born. Any relevant legislation on the provision of AHR services should reflect the general principles of the Equal Status Acts 2000-4 subject to the qualifications set out in section 4.8.