The Minister for Health has said he expects new legislation on surrogacy will be drafted, debated, and enacted by the time the Dáil rises for the summer recess in July.
Minister Stephen Donnelly told the Dáil the formal drafting process is well under way. He said legislation with this level of detail and complexity would normally take several years.
He said he hopes to bring it to Cabinet soon, after which it will be debated at the Health Committee.
"It is crucial the legislation is robust and can withstand rigorous scrutiny. Given the range of complexities involved, and the rights of the various parties involved, it is entirely possible that aspects of this will be challenged."
He added that it is intended that "certain types of past surrogacy will be recognised in the legislation."
Mr Donnelly told Sinn Féin's Kathleen Funchion that retrospective surrogacy will have to be dealt with as part of the legislation and that this will be dealt with through a court order rather than through a new agency.
This will mean parents will go to the courts for a parental order.
Ms Funchion said her constituents "Brian and Cathy Egan are currently before the High Court on this issue, very courageously putting their story out there, which just goes to show that not everyone has the time."
