Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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1350. To ask the Minister for Health when legislation will be delivered to provide legal recognition to both parents who have children through surrogacy either in Ireland or abroad; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13093/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022 was introduced to, and passed Second Stage in, the Dáil in March 2022 and has been referred to the Select Committee on Health for Third Stage.

The focus of this Bill is on the regulation, for the first time in this country, of a wide range of assisted human reproduction (AHR) practices undertaken within the jurisdiction.

Following the approval in mid-December 2022 by the Government of the policy approach in respect of both the regulation of international surrogacy and the recognition of certain past surrogacy arrangements (domestic and international) the formal drafting process by the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel, in conjunction with the three Departments, as appropriate, is well underway. These new provisions will need to be approved by Government following the completion of this process.

The process of drafting new provisions is being undertaken in tandem with the drafting of potentially substantial proposed amendments to the 11 Parts and 134 pages of the published Bill. It is intended that the new Parts dealing with international surrogacy, as well as recognition of certain past surrogacy arrangements, will be introduced at Committee Stage.

As the Deputy will appreciate,?I am not in a position at this juncture to give a definitive timeline as to when these new Parts and other proposed amendments will be brought to Committee Stage and the subsequent passage of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill though the Houses of the Oireachtas; however, I wish to reiterate my commitment to ensuring both that the goal of providing for a route to formal recognition by the State of past surrogacy arrangements or surrogacy arrangements in other jurisdictions is achieved and that a robust regulatory framework for AHR more broadly is put in place.