Fertility Benefits for Employers in Ireland

Written by Anna Haotanto, Founder, Zora Health. Last reviewed: November 2026. General information, not legal or medical advice. This guide covers IVF and egg freezing costs, public funding, the rules and how to build a fertility benefit.

Why fertility is a business problem for employers

Fertility treatment runs on the clinic’s timetable. Scans are booked at short notice, egg collection follows about 36 hours after a trigger injection, and many couples need more than one cycle.

The World Health Organization estimates that about 1 in 6 people worldwide are affected by infertility. In 2025 Ireland’s six regional fertility hubs accepted 5,818 referrals, and 1,996 patients were referred on for publicly funded treatment at a private clinic, an average of 166 a month against 122 in 2024 (HSE Fertility Services Report 2025, via Medical Independent, June 2026). We found no Irish workplace survey, so the figures below come from other countries.

• Resignations. 39% of employees in Ferring‘s 2025 survey of more than 3,600 people in Australia, France, Japan, Poland and the UK had left or were considering leaving their job during fertility treatment.
• Lower performance. 55% of people in Carrot‘s 2023 survey of 5,000 people in Canada, India, Mexico, the UK and the US said fertility challenges hurt their work performance, and 79% were uncomfortable discussing fertility at work.

What employers gain

What IVF costs, and what the state pays

Since September 2023 a GP refers, a regional fertility hub runs tests, and eligible couples receive one full cycle of IVF or ICSI, or IUI, at an HSE-approved private clinic (Department of Health, July 2023, HSE). Everyone else pays privately.

Source: Merrion Fertility Clinic, Dublin, price list, updated October 2026. One clinic’s list; medication, further embryo transfers and later storage are extra. We found no national price data.

Sources: HSE, page reviewed 30 June 2025; Department of Health, June 2025; Revenue, health expenses and qualifying expenses; Merrion Fertility Clinic.

We found no Irish registry data on IVF success by age. In the UK, preliminary HFEA data for 2024 show a birth rate per embryo transferred using patients’ own eggs of 38% at ages 18 to 34 and 8% at ages 43 to 44.

Fertility support that fits your workforce and budget

You do not need to overhaul your existing health insurance to support employees through fertility treatment. Start with awareness and manager education, add confidential one-to-one support, or introduce a funded allowance across your offices. There is no minimum company size.

Where included in the employer programme, eligible employees can use talks and care navigation without paying Zora a separate fee. Care navigation allowances are set in each proposal. Treatment and other third-party costs are paid separately, either by employees or through the fertility allowance their employer provides.

Optional add-ons can be added to any programme, subject to availability: hormone and fertility diagnostics and telehealth with specialists. Pricing is tailored to your headcount, your countries and the services you choose. Most companies start with a single talk.

Request a proposal See how Zora works for employers

Plan your fertility benefit budget

Already have corporate health insurance? Here is where Zora fits

Your medical plan may cover some consultations and tests, but fertility treatment is often limited or excluded, so check your policy wording. Employees still need to understand their options, the public funding they qualify for and which clinic suits them.

Zora works alongside your existing insurance and benefits. We help employees get reliable information, navigate their care options and reach suitable specialists, and we give HR manager guidance, policy templates and, on the Complete programme, anonymised reporting. You strengthen fertility support without replacing your medical plan.

How Zora works

For your employees

Employees join the Zora app with a company code, or single sign-on for larger teams. They can learn about fertility and egg freezing, understand what your benefit covers, book a confidential care navigation call and find partner clinics and specialists.

For HR

1. Kick-off, week 1. Agree goals, countries and which employees are eligible.
2. Policy and benefit design, weeks 2 to 4. Draft or update your fertility policy using our templates.
3. Launch, typically weeks 4 to 6. A launch talk for employees and managers, plus a communications pack for HR to send.
4. Live support. Employees book care navigation calls and use the Zora app.
5. Reporting, every 3 months, on the Complete programme. Anonymised usage, common themes and our recommendations, reviewed with your account manager.

Privacy

Employee privacy is central to our programmes. On the Complete programme, routine employer reports contain aggregated engagement and utilisation information, with safeguards to prevent identification of individual employees. On every programme, personal health information is not included in standard HR reporting, and employees can get help without telling their manager. Where eligibility checks or claims administration need individual-level data, access is limited to authorised parties for defined purposes, as agreed in writing before launch. Employee data is handled in line with Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act and Ireland’s application of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, under which health data is special category data.

Clinics and doctors in Ireland

Zora’s clinic and doctor directory does not list providers in Ireland yet. It lists 421 clinics and 1,185 doctors across 25 countries, mostly in Asia Pacific and the Middle East (browse clinics or browse doctors). Employees in Ireland can still use Zora’s education and the Zora app. Ask us how your team in Ireland would use Zora before you launch. See Zora’s employer guides for every country.

Rules and eligibility in Ireland

Why employers choose Zora

Companies including Hilton, LinkedIn, Sanofi, HSBC, Mastercard, Carousell and Singapore Management University work with Zora Health. We work alongside your existing insurance, helping employees use the cover they already have and find suitable specialists based on their needs.

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Trying to conceive with a heavy workload took a toll on my husband and me. It helped us understand our options.

Questions HR teams ask us

Is fertility leave mandatory in Ireland?

No. Irish law has no statutory leave for fertility treatment. Employees usually use annual leave, sick leave or company policy for appointments. The 5 days of unpaid medical care leave in the Work Life Balance Act 2023 are for caring for a relative or household member with a serious medical need.

Does the HSE pay for IVF in Ireland?

Yes, for one full cycle of IVF or ICSI per eligible couple, at an HSE-approved private clinic. The couple must be resident in Ireland, referred by a GP to a regional fertility hub before the woman’s 41st birthday, and meet conditions on BMI, previous treatment, sterilisation and children. Since 30 June 2025, couples with one child together can qualify.

Can same-sex couples or single women get state-funded IVF in Ireland?

Not at present. The HSE scheme excludes same-sex couples, single women and anyone who needs donor eggs or sperm. HIQA published a review of publicly funded donor-assisted treatment in May 2026 to inform future policy, but no start date has been announced.

Does Zora replace our health insurance?

No. Zora works alongside your insurance. We help employees understand their options, find suitable specialists and use the cover they already have.

How much does a fertility benefit cost an employer?

It depends on the allowance, eligibility and expected uptake. Use the budget planner on this page for a first estimate, then ask us for a tailored proposal based on your headcount and countries.

How quickly can we launch?

Typically 4 to 6 weeks from contract to launch, depending on scope and countries. Most companies start with a single talk.

Related guides for Irish employers

Information on this page is correct as of 5 November 2026. Laws, public funding, insurance rules and treatment costs change often, so check current rules with the relevant authority, insurer or a qualified adviser before making decisions. This page is general information, not legal, financial, tax or medical advice.