Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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338. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on progress regarding the commencement of section 232 of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024; if Court Rules have been changed to accommodate this new provision; if there are any legal barriers to its commencement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55904/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Section 232 of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 will amend section 20 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015. This will allow for a declaration of parentage to be obtained in circumstances where a donor assisted human reproduction (DAHR) procedure did not take place in a clinical setting and in cases where a known donor was used, providing that the donor consents to the granting of the declaration. This will apply to DAHR procedures which have taken place prior to the commencement of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015, i.e. prior to 4th May 2020.

As these amendments concern procedures before the District and Circuit Court, it is necessary that the relevant Rules of Court are updated to reflect the changes to be introduced, and before Section 232 of the 2024 Act can be commenced.

Officials in my Department have been working with their colleagues in the Courts Service in the preparation of updated Rules of Court for the District and Circuit Courts.

Consideration of the updated Rules of Court for the District Courts commenced at the meeting of that Committee on 24th September and will continue at their next meeting, which is scheduled for November. The Rules for the Circuit Courts will be considered at the next meeting of that Committee which will take place in October.

Once these changes have been approved by the Committees, they will then need to be submitted for concurrence by the Minister for Justice. Following concurrence from that Minister, it will be possible to commence section 232 of the 2024 Act, which I intend to do as soon as is practicable thereafter.