Surrogacy in Ireland has always been a subject matter of dispute given to the absence of a strict law or regulation for surrogacy in the country. While numerous couples looks forward to it due to the cheap availability of European donors and surrogates, others give it a pass due to the sub-standard medical facilities in the country.
There is currently no legislation in Ireland regarding surrogacy; hence most couples look for surrogacy in other countries such as Ukraine, the United States, or Canada.
As a result, surrogacy in this region of the world is neither outlawed nor authorised. Although several surrogacy services in Ireland operate under a grey area network, the surrogacy arrangements are not legally enforceable for either the surrogate or the intended parent.
If you are a couple seeking for surrogacy in Ireland, it is highly advised that you consider Ukraine or Georgia. Beside, you must get along with a good surrogacy clinic Ireland that can guide you along at every step of your surrogacy journey.
In the case of gestational surrogacy in Ireland, who is the legal parent or guardian?
The mother (even if it's a surrogate) is the legal parent and guardian of the kid under Irish law. Consequently, she will remain the legal custodian of the born kid regardless of whether it is a conventional or gestational surrogacy done by the top surrogacy agency in Ireland.
If the surrogate mother is married, however, her husband will be deemed a shared guardian and legal father of the kid. So, by any means, the prospective parents don’t hold any right on the born child, until and unless a court order has been derived in the same context.
How can the child's intended mother become a legal parent?
In order to become the legal parent of the born child, the intended or commissioning mother must share day-to-day care of the kid with the legal father for a period of two years. While this seems quite an impossible task at first place, most of the couples choose to look towards other potential surrogacy destinations to realize their parenthood dreams.
The cost of surrogacy in Ireland
The surrogacy cost in ireland ranges from €30,000 to €150,000, depending on the surrogacy centre you choose. Other fees such as travel, insurance, counseling services, legal bills, and so on may increase the cost of surrogacy in Ireland.
What about surrogacy for local inhabitants in Ireland?
Local couples can use domestic surrogacy in Ireland if they can locate a surrogate mother who is prepared to bear a child for them. With the aid of an Ireland surrogacy service, an agreement will be formed between both parties (surrogate and intended parents) on medical expenses, accommodation, and other matters.
Despite this, given the lack of a legal framework for surrogacy in Ireland, the same agreement is not enforceable by law.
In Ireland, there are certain requirements for selecting a surrogate mother.
In Ireland, a woman must be between the ages of 25 and 47 and have previously given birth to a healthy child. She must also be checked and screened by a certified doctor and counsellor for any health or psychiatric difficulties. Besides, she must be willing to carry the kid for the intended parents as a kind of support.
There won’t be many surrogate house in Ireland so the surrogate mothers may have to live with their own families during the pregnancy period.