Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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148. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to bring forward legislation to facilitate maternity leave for persons through surrogacy; the proposed timeframe for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30572/17]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, surrogacy is not currently recognised under Irish legislation. I am informed that the Department of Health is currently drafting a General Scheme of legislative provisions on assisted human reproduction (AHR) and associated research, which will include provisions relating to surrogacy. It is envisaged that a draft of the General Scheme will be completed by the end of June 2017. Once the General Scheme is finalised, the Minister for Health intends to submit a memo to Government seeking approval of the General Scheme, which would encompass permission for its publication and submission to the Joint Oireachtas Committee to undergo pre-legislative scrutiny. Following enactment of the subsequent Bill, i.e. once the substantive issue of surrogacy has been provided for in law, the consequential issue of statutory maternity and paternity leave for parents of children born by surrogacy will also be addressed.