A High Court judge has again sharply criticised the pace of the Government's handling of the regulation of international surrogacy and its defence of a High Court case on the issue.
Mr Justice John Jordan said he was not sure those responsible appreciated the urgent need for legislation the Supreme Court said 13 years ago was necessary.
Judge Jordan had last month issued a wide ranging rebuke of Government inaction to date and questioned if the court was being respected after he learned of planned legislation through media reports.
He had adjourned a case before him on the issue and asked for an update to be given to the court today.
The judge is hearing a case taken by the parents of a boy born through gestational surrogacy abroad who say there was an urgent need for his genetic mother to be legally recognised because his father is battling a life-threatening illness.
Kathy and Brian Egan from Kilkenny say the State's failure to allow for the legal recognition of the boy's genetic mother amounts to discrimination and a breach of his rights under the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.
This morning, Judge Jordan said that up to yesterday no update was available and when he raised the issue a letter was written last night.
Counsel for the plaintiffs in the case said the letter was "more than a little disappointing" as it appeared to give her clients and the court less information than that which was already in the public domain.
Senior Counsel Nuala Jackson said advocacy groups had been informed that heads of a bill were before Cabinet and that they would be given a private briefing today, followed by a press conference.
Ms Jackson said it appeared to be widely known, yet the letter merely gave an undertaking to inform the court of any decisions.
Judge Jordan said he was "not sure the need for expedition is appreciated by those responsible for legislation which as far back as 2009 was deemed necessary by the Supreme Court and repeated in 2014 by the Supreme Court when the then Mr Justice Donal O'Donnell (now the Chief Justice) said Irish legislation had "shamefully failed" to address the issue".
He adjourned the case until next week and noted the undertaking given to inform the court of any decisions.
The judge said he expected the court to be updated "without having to ask for it". He said he was adjourning the case only until next week "because it is urgent".
Counsel for the Egans said if progress was not made on the issue they would have to ask for the case to resume early next year.
Senior Counsel for the State Mary O'Toole said decisions on the legislation were subject to Cabinet confidentiality and asked the court to note the undertaking given in the letter.
