Local Carlow TD welcomes Assisted Human Reproduction Bill

Local Carlow Fianna Fáil TD Jennifer Murnane O'Connor has welcomed the completion of the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill in both Houses of the Oireachtas.

Fianna Fáil TD and Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has today announced that the Assisted Reproduction Bill has completed its passage in both Houses of the Oireachtas.

This complex and far-reaching legislation will for the first time encompass regulation on a wide range of practices, including gamete and embryo donation for assisted human reproduction (AHR) and research; domestic altruistic surrogacy; pre-implantation genetic testing of embryos; posthumous assisted human reproduction; and embryo and stem cell research. It will also provide that any person providing AHR treatment within the State must hold a licence granted by the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority (AHRRA), a body to be established by this Act.

Commenting on the AHR Bill, Murnane O'Connor said: "I am thrilled to see the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill complete it’s passage through both houses of the Oireachtas and confirmed today by my party colleague Minister Stephen Donnelly.”

“Having a family is one of the most special feelings in the world, and we in Fianna Fáil want to be progressive and inclusive in how we can help people achieve that.”

“An important component of this Bill is the legal position of the children who have been born through AHR. I know this was a particular worry for many parents and families across the country, and this will come as a relief to them.”

“This is a positive and progressive step forward for our country. Fianna Fáil is committed to a further and more progressive Ireland. We have always been a party to support progressive change for our country, and the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill is more evidence of that.”