Press release
Ministers for Health, Justice and Children meet to discuss Report of Committee on International Surrogacy
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Health
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Health, the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth have met, together with officials from their departments, to continue their detailed examination of the recently published report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on International Surrogacy and its recommendations.
The three Ministers wish to reiterate their broad welcome for the report and great appreciation for the work undertaken by the Committee within a relatively tight timeframe.
The Ministers and their officials have been examining the recommendations in the report in detail and have been working through how to advance consideration of these recommendations, as appropriate, including in legislation.
Officials from all relevant government departments are now engaged in a structured process to explore the implications of the recommendations and how such recommendations can be most effectively progressed.
The departments will finalise an agreed Policy Paper which can then form the basis for the development of legislative options, including consideration of whether some can be inserted into the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022 at Committee Stage.
Key principles underpinning any new legislative measures will be the protection of the rights of all children born as a result of cross-border surrogacy arrangements and the safeguarding of the welfare of surrogate mothers.