A €2m support plan is to be put in place to help people with fertility issues access public service consultations.
Minister for Health Simon Harris said this is needed as a first step towards making IVF treatment available through the public health service under planned new laws next year.
Under existing rules, advanced human reproduction treatment, such as IVF therapy, is only available privately in Ireland.
This situation leads to costly bills which in some cases reach into the tens of thousands of euro for people hoping to have children.
The Government has previously outlined plans for the drafting of a new legislative framework for assisted human reproduction.
Minister Harris will ask Cabinet to publicly commit to funding infertility treatment through the public health service.
He will tell Cabinet the plan's initial focus will be on building up services at secondary care level, where it is estimated that 50-70% of people with fertility issues could be managed, without the need to undergo invasive IVF treatment.
As part of this measure, he will confirm €2m will be spent on supporting access to consultation and diagnostics for men and women experiencing fertility difficulties.
He said this is the first step in the roll-out of the model of care for infertility.
