A high-level ministerial meeting to advance legislation on international surrogacy has taken place. This comes despite commercial surrogacy being banned or not recognised anywhere in Europe, except Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.

The Ministers for Health, for Justice and for Children, together with officials from their departments, examined the recently published report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on International Surrogacy.

They reiterated their broad welcome for the report and discussed how to advance its recommendations, including in legislation.

“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,” according to a press release.

“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”.