Noel Rock (Dublin North West, Fine Gael)
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656. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to introduce legislation regarding surrogacy allowing persons to be recognised as a child’s legal parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45807/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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On Tuesday 3 October 2017 the Government approved the drafting of a Bill on assisted human reproduction (AHR) and associated areas of research. Officials in my Department are engaging with the Office of the Attorney General in relation to the process of drafting this Bill. The General Scheme is published on the Department's website and has been submitted to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health for review.

The specific provisions relating to surrogacy are outlined in Part 6 of the General Scheme. These provisions outline the specific conditions under which surrogacy in Ireland will be permitted, which includes setting out a court-based mechanism through which the parentage of a child born through surrogacy may be transferred from the surrogate (and her husband, if applicable) to the intending parent(s).