The Dáil has passed what the Government stated is a “landmark” bill on surrogacy and assisted human reproduction (AHR).

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly (pictured) welcomed the passing of the bill, describing it as “another significant milestone”.

“We are dealing with extremely complex issues, and the work involved extensive consultation and consideration of a whole range of issues,” he stated.

The Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022 regulates, for the first time, a wide range of practices, such as:

• Gamete and embryo donation for assisted human reproduction and research,
• Domestic altruistic surrogacy,
• Pre-implantation genetic testing of embryos, and
• Embryo and stem-cell research.

Independent authority

The bill also provides for the establishment of an independent regulatory authority for AHR, the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority (AHRRA).

Minister Donnelly said that some of the issues that arose during committee stage needed further consideration.

“In this regard, I propose to bring forward an amending bill in the autumn,” he said.

The bill will now proceed to second stage in the Seanad.