The Government rejected numerous amendments to controversial surrogacy legislation during the opening committee stage debate in the Seanad last Thursday.

Amongst the proposals moderating the scope of the bill, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly rejected that anyone wishing to avail of surrogacy services “shall be required to meet all of the same requirements and standards as a person wishing to adopt a child”.

He also rejected that the surrogate mother “must not be obliged by the commissioning adults or their agents to undergo an abortion”.

In reference to the amendment that “no single man shall be allowed to undertake surrogacy”, the Minister said that would be “unacceptably discriminatory”.

The Minister also rejected the proposal that “No one who was convicted of a child sexual offence either in or outside the State shall be allowed to participate in or avail of surrogacy services”.

The committee stage debate in the Seanad will resume Wednesday.