The Government should prioritise the legalisation of surrogacy in this country so couples who have struggled to have a baby no longer need to travel abroad to access the service, a leading international campaigner on surrogacy has said.

Sam Everingham, founder of the Growing Families charity, says the legal uncertainty around surrogacy in Ireland should be “urgently addressed” and called for legislation to be introduced.

His comments follow reports that dozens of babies born to surrogate mothers in the Ukraine were being cared for by nurses in hotels and hospitals because the individuals and couples who commissioned them cannot enter the country to collect them due to Covid-19 border restrictions.

The call comes as Irish families due to travel to Ukraine in the coming days for the birth of their child via surrogacy are unable to secure permission to enter because of the covid19 lockdown.