Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 June 2021
561. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Health if the lack of legislation will be addressed in relation to surrogacy in Ireland regarding the legal status of the mother; if there are plans to address the matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33525/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, drafting of a bill on assisted human reproduction (AHR) and associated areas of research, based on the published General Scheme of the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill, is ongoing by officials in my Department, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General. This comprehensive piece of legislation will encompass the regulation, for the first time in Ireland, of a very wide range of practices, including domestic altruistic surrogacy.
The legislation sets out a court-based mechanism through which the parentage of a child born through a surrogacy agreement which has been pre-approved by the AHR Regulatory Authority may be transferred from the surrogate (and her husband, if applicable) to the intending parent(s).
Overall, the aim of the AHR legislation is to promote and ensure the health and safety of parents, others involved in the process (such as donors and surrogate mothers), while, most importantly, consideration of the welfare and best interests of the children who will be born as a result of AHR is the key principle underpinning all legislative measures in this area.
