Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
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222. To ask the Minister for Health if he will legislate for international surrogacy as part of the proposed assisted human reproduction Bill; if so, when he will publish the legislation; if he will engage with key stakeholders (details supplied) on his proposals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54854/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, drafting of a bill on assisted human reproduction (AHR) and associated areas of research is ongoing by officials in my Department, in conjunction with the Office of the Attorney General. This legislation encompasses the regulation for the first time of a wide range of practices undertaken in this jurisdiction, including domestic altruistic surrogacy.

Publication of the AHR Bill is a priority for my Department and the Government, and a commitment to enact this legislation is included in the Programme for Government, “Our Shared Future”. This Department will continue to engage intensively with the Office of the Attorney General in order to finalise this complex legislation. 

The draft Bill does not contain provisions to regulate surrogacy arrangements undertaken in other jurisdictions. Issues which arise from the undertaking of surrogacy arrangements in other jurisdictions concern areas of law that intersect across the remits of several Government Departments and require detailed examination. My Department is engaging with the Department of Justice and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in respect of these matters. Officials in my Department have met on a number of occasions with different groups within the umbrella organisation to which you refer.   

Overall, the provisions outlined within the Bill will ensure that AHR practices and related areas of research are conducted in a more consistent and standardised way and with the necessary oversight.