Referendum: Minister admits surrogacy issue must be addressed

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has defended her decision not to bring in laws on surrogacy in advance of the marriage equality referendum but admitted the campaign had made clear the need for legislation.

She said she took the surrogacy clause out of the Child and Family Relationships Act shortly before it was signed into law last month because it only addressed limited aspects of surrogacy arrangements.

She said the Government had decided it was better that surrogacy be included in legislation the Department of Health was planning to draft on the much broader question of assisted human reproduction in all its forms.