Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1927. To ask the Minister for Health the timeline as to when the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority will be in a position to oversee and regulate donations of embryos for the purpose of fertility treatment; if any interim measures or guidance for clinics and patients will be issued while the framework is being finalised; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59262/25]

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1971. To ask the Minister for Health when the provisions of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 relating to embryo donation will be commenced; the reasons for the delay in implementation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59428/25]

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1972. To ask the Minister for Health when the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority will be fully established and operational; the current status of its staffing, governance, and regulatory preparations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59429/25]

Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1973. To ask the Minister for Health if she will consider introducing interim measures or guidance for fertility clinics and patients to facilitate lawful and ethical embryo donation pending the full commencement of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59430/25]

Cian O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1991. To ask the Minister for Health if her Department will publish a clear timeline for when the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority will be fully operational and able to authorise embryo donation programmes; if her Department will consider introducing interim measures or guidance for clinics and patients in this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [59563/25]

Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

2049. To ask the Minister for Health the timeline for when the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority will be fully operational; when the provisions of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 relating to embryo donation will be commenced; and if interim measures or guidance will be provided to fertility clinics and patients while the statutory framework is being finalised. [59965/25]

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1927, 1971 to 1973, inclusive, 1991 and 2049 together.

As the Deputy is aware, the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Act 2024 was signed into law by the President in July 2024, having passed all stages in both Houses of the Oireachtas.

The 2024 Act encompasses the regulation, largely for the first time, of a wide range of AHR practices undertaken in Ireland. The establishment of the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority (AHRRA) is a key aspect required for the effective regulation of this sector. I have signed Orders formally establishing the AHRRA, as provided for in the legislation, and appointing the first Board, including a Chairperson. Even now that it has been formally established, it should be noted that it will take some time for the AHRRA to be fully operational as it will be responsible for a considerable number of very complex functions. Since the Board has just been put in place, and the agency has just come into legal existence, it does not have any staff as yet. It is a function of the Board to appoint those staff, including the chief executive officer (CEO), for which a campaign is underway. It will be a matter for the Board and the CEO to identify the other skills and competencies of staff members to be recruited that will be required to enable the agency to begin working on the functions provided for the AHRRA in the legislation.

In tandem with this, formal drafting of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) (Amendment) Bill is ongoing and at an advanced stage, led by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, in conjunction with officials from my Department, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality. This Bill is largely concerned with outstanding issues of parentage and citizenship, but also seeks to make other necessary amendments to various sections of the 2024 Act. I assure the Deputy that the publication and enactment of the AHR Amendment Bill – and the subsequent commencement of the AHR legislation in its totality – is a priority for Government and work is continuing to achieve this as soon as practicable.

While the AHR legislation is yet to be fully commenced, the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 commenced on 4 May 2020 and provides for the donation of embryos under the following circumstances.

Under section 14 of the 2015 Act, where an embryo is formed for the purposes of an AHR procedure, and the woman and man whose gametes have been used in the formation of the embryo (i.e., the original intending parents) no longer wish for the embryo to be used in such a procedure, they may both consent to the use of an embryo in a donor-assisted human reproduction (DAHR) procedure in which neither of them are the intending parents.

Under section 16 of the 2015 Act, where an embryo is formed for the purposes of a DAHR procedure, and the woman and man who are the original intending parents – or, where there was only one intending parent, the woman who was the original intending mother – no longer wish to use the embryos in a DAHR procedure, they may consent to donate the embryos for use in a further DAHR procedure in which they are not the intending parents.

In advance of the use of such embryos, the parties donating the embryo must sign consents to attest that they will not have any parental rights in respect of a child born using the embryo, that they consent to the use of the embryo in a DAHR procedure/further DAHR procedure, and consent to the inclusion of their details on the National Donor Conceived Person Register.