There have been multiple promises over the years by Government to fund a model of care for infertility as part of the public health system.
However couples are still calling for financial help.
Professor Mary Wingfield is clinical director of Merrion Fertility Clinic and a consultant gynecologist at the National Maternity Hospital.
She told Newstalk Breakfast there is no excuse not to have a publicly-funded model.
"There have been problems over the years - people didn't want to talk about IVF, they felt it was against the Catholic church - but that's all gone now.
"So I don't really think there's any excuse now except for economics and politics, maybe.
"They're a very vulnerable group that have just been left out of everything in our society.
"We had the Repeal the Eighth referendum, we have abortion now, we still don't have fertility treatment".
"It is a medical treatment, we have to remember that.
"I think that's one of the problems - people seem to think it's a luxury item, but it is actually a medical treatment.
"So it should be like every other medical treatment, that if people need this medically then they're entitled to get it.
"And that's what we're talking about.
"But I think there's this perception out there that it is [a luxury] - partly because it's only available to people who are quite well-off and can afford it".
She said there is also not a strong lobby group calling for it, and a " little bit of a reluctance to talk about it".
Ireland vs other countries
"IVF is very expensive because it's very labour-intensive: we're dealing with miniscule eggs and sperm and embryos which you can't see with the naked eye.
"You need such a careful set-up to be able to manage all of those and make sure we don't mix up people's eggs and embryos.
"So it's very expensive and very labour-intensive.
"For an individual couple it actually costs around €6,000 minimum for a cycle of IVF.
"But the interesting thing is that all the studies that have been done in other countries around the world where they have very good IVF publicly-funded systems show that in terms of healthcare budgets it's absolutely a minimum cost.
"It costs less than 1% of healthcare budgets in countries like Australia, France, Belgium where they have full funding for IVF for people".
She said the system can vary depending on where you are.
"Israel has endless funding until you have two children - most countries will have a limit.
"[In] France people can have up to six cycles of treatment.
"Scotland probably has one of the best systems: they fund up to three cycles of treatment until you have two children.
"So if you have two children, you're not eligible anymore".
Effects on people
Prof Wingfield said infertility has been shown to have similar effects to a cancer or AIDS diagnosis.
"Relationships regularly break up over it.
"Studies internationally have shown it has the same effect as being given a diagnosis of cancer or a diagnosis of AIDS/HIV.
"So it has a huge psychological effect on people.
"If you're desperate and really want a baby and you're doing absolutely everything you can - you're saving your money to pay for IVF, you're not smoking, you're not drinking, you're eating really healthily, you're making sure you get enough sleep - and you're still not able to get pregnant it's absolutely soul-destroying.
"It does create a sense of hopelessness, it has a huge impact on people and that's not good for society and it's not good for general mental well-being".
