Terence Flanagan
Question:130. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality his views on surrogacy (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16908/14]
View answerWednesday, 9 April 2014
Questions (130)
Written answers
My recently published General Scheme of a Children and Family Relationships Bill makes express provision for the assignment of parentage in cases of surrogacy. The draft legislation will allow commissioning parents to apply for court orders assigning parentage to them, in cases of altruistic surrogacy. A surrogacy arrangement is not enforceable and the consent of the birth mother to the transfer of parentage is essential. The position as set out in my proposals - currently under discussion at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality - is that the birth mother will always be considered the mother of the child unless either the child is adopted, or, where a surrogacy agreement is in place before the child's conception, she agrees to the transfer of parentage to the commissioning parents.