By: Annette Hickey
Poe Kiely Hogan Lanigan is pleased to report that the Minister for Health, Simon Harris has received approval from the Irish Cabinet to draft legislation allowing female same-sex couples to be registered as the legal parents of their donor-conceived child.
Once enacted this legislation will allow the birth certificates of donor-conceived children to be changed so that the same-sex partner of a child’s biological parent can also be named on the birth certificate as a parent.
The new legislation will be an enactment of Parts 2 and 3 of The Child and Family Relationships Act 2015 and is welcomed by the Surrogacy & Fertility Law team at Poe Kiely Hogan Lanigan following calls for equal parental rights for female same-sex couples since the introduction of the Marriage Equality Act in 2015.
Minister Harris has stated that he hopes to introduce the new legislation before the Summer and for it to commence in Autumn 2018.
For further information on the draft legislation, please visit the Merrion Street Website. Alternatively, if you would like to discuss how the new legislation may impact upon you and the parentage of your own children, please get in touch for an initial consultation.
Written by: Annette Hickey
Annette has exclusively practised family law in the litigation department for the past 10 years and heads up the firm's Surrogacy & Fertility law team.
She is highly respected and regarded for her expertise and knowledge of fertility law, surrogacy and same-sex family matters. Diligent, thorough and empathetic, Annette brings a wealth of experience, sensitivity and understanding to our team.
The information on this website does not constitute legal advice or otherwise. Make sure you seek specific legal advice before making any important decisions. Under Law Society regulations in contentious business, a solicitor may not calculate fees or other charges as a percentage or proportion of any award or settlement. © Copyright Poe Kiely Hogan Lanigan Solicitors 2026.