Leo Varadkar

Pressed on the issue in the Dáil yesterday, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said he acknowledged that legislation on the matter “is long overdue”.

Fianna Fáil TD Jennifer Murnan O’Connor asked him to address “reports the government will delay the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill because of technical legal issues”.

Mr Varadkar said: “It is complex. There are complex legal and ethical questions that arise in respect of for-profit surrogacy services, children being moved from other countries to this country and the right to know who one’s biological parents are.

“There are many very complicated ethical issues that have to be resolved, particularly in the context of our difficult history in respect of adoption and women giving up their children and so on.”

He continued: “We must get this right. There has been substantial work done and engagement on this issue since the formation of the government, involving the minister for justice, Deputy McEntee, the minister of state, Deputy Naughton, the minister for health, the minister for children, equality, disability, integration and youth and the Attorney General.

“In the coming weeks a memorandum will be brought to Cabinet proposing how to consider the issues relating to international surrogacy and how subsequently to introduce any legislative change.

“It will be a joint memorandum from the Departments of Justice; Health; and Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. It will propose the establishment of a time-limited special joint Oireachtas committee to consider the issue, including the issues arising from commercial international surrogacy, and to report with recommendations.”