Proposed new legislation on assisted human reproduction will provide for international surrogacy into the future, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said.
He said that it will also provide for retrospective parentage rights for hundreds of children who do not currently have these and have their parents fully recognised.
The Select Committee on Health is at Committee Stage, in further consideration of the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022.
The Bill provides for a new AHR Regulatory Authority (AHRRA) responsible for regulating more frequently-undertaken procedures such as IVF, as well as licencing and regulating the provision of other specific practices like surrogacy.
It is important to allow for altruistic surrogacy but avoid exploitation and avoid commercial surrogacy, Sinn Féin health spokesperson David Cullinane said.
He also said it was important that the provision for intermediaries will not open the door to exploitation.
Under the proposed new law, it will be up to the new authority to determine what the reasonable fees in the process are.
Minister Donnelly pointed out that, for example, if commercial surrogacy was allowed in the US, it would not be approved here as it would be in violation of a central tenant in the Bill regarding commercial surrogacy.
