%0 Journal Article
%T The evolution of health policy guidelines for assisted reproduction in the Republic of Ireland, 2004-2009
%A David J Walsh
%A Mary L Ma
%A Eric Sills
%J Health Research Policy and Systems
%D 2011
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1478-4505-9-28
%X At present, there is no legislation specifically regulating assisted reproductive technology (ART) in the Republic of Ireland [1]. While the need for a statutory framework to address the provision of ART in Ireland was acknowledged by the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction (CAHR) in 2005 [2] as well as the Irish judiciary in 2009 [3], the Parliament of the Republic of Ireland (the Oireachtas) has yet to enact any relevant statutes.In the absence of controlling legislation addressing IVF, the only guidance medical practitioners in Ireland currently have on assisted fertility matters is provided by The Guide to Professional Conduct & Ethics for Registered Medical Practitioners (the "ethical guide"). The version currently in effect is the most recent edition published in 2009 [4], while the immediately preceding edition appeared in 2004 [5]. These guides are periodically issued by the Medical Council, which is the central medical registration authority in Ireland. With a remit covering all medical practitioners throughout Ireland and not just those engaged in the practice of reproductive medicine, the council's guidelines must provide guidance across the full range of medical practice. In this report we examine this document in detail, with an emphasis on how the council's position on ART has evolved between 2004 and 2009, on how the council incorporated recommendations from the CAHR into its 2009 guidelines, and how the council's own membership changed between 2004 and 2009.The sixth (2004) edition of the Medical Council's ethical guidelines allocated 162 words to the area of ART, touching upon cryopreservation, donation, and IVF [5]. In contrast, the seventh (2009) edition devoted 149 words to the topic of assisted fertility [4]. At least four concepts central to the advanced reproductive technologies found different expression in these guidelines between 2004 and 2009 (see Table 1).The council's 2004 guidelines indicate that IVF "should only be used after tho
%U http://www.health-policy-systems.com/content/9/1/28