Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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730. To ask the Minister for Health if he will confirm whether it is permissible for terminations of pregnancy based on sex-selection criteria to take place under the provisions of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26046/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy might be aware, the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022 (AHR Bill) passed Second Stage in the Dáil in March 2022 and has been referred to the Select Committee on Health for Third Stage. This complex and far-reaching legislation will encompass the regulation for the first time of a wide range of practices undertaken in this jurisdiction, including: gamete and embryo donation for assisted human reproduction (or AHR) and research; domestic altruistic surrogacy; pre-implantation genetic testing of embryos; posthumous assisted human reproduction; and embryo and stem cell research.

Part 6 of the published Bill is titled “pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and sex selection” and includes provision for sex selection – defined as “AHR treatment provided to a person for the purpose of ensuring, or increasing the probability, that an embryo will be of a particular sex” – in very limited circumstances and under strict conditions. However sex selection essentially involves the diagnosis, screening or testing of embryos prior to implantation and is therefore not related to the termination of an existing pregnancy.

Termination of pregnancy services in Ireland are provided under the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. The Act allows termination to be carried out in cases where there is a risk to the life, or of serious harm to the health, of the pregnant woman; where there is a condition present which is likely to lead to the death of the foetus either before or within 28 days of birth; and without restriction up to 12 weeks of pregnancy.