“Meaningless”, “dangerous” or ineffective add-on treatments are being marketed and sold by fertility clinics to couples desperate to have children, according to an RTE investigates program. The add-ons promise to increase the chances of a woman conceiving, but there is little to no evidence to back up the claims.

Undercover researchers filmed at this year’s Future Fertility Show in Dublin encountered the widespread promotion of several add-ons that have been rated red by the UK regulator.

This means that they have both potential safety concerns and also may reduce the effectiveness of IVF treatment.

However, unlike in the UK, while doctors here are regulated by the Medical Council, there is no independent statutory regulator overseeing fertility treatment.

Caitríona Fitzpatrick of NISIG, Ireland’s national infertility charity, said the fertility sector needs more policing as people struggling to have a baby are often desperate for a solution.

“Fertility is one of the hardest areas for people to spot misinformation on because the people looking at it are under such stress and they’re such a vulnerable group. But it has one of the highest levels of misinformation,” Ms Fitzpatrick said.