Proposed new legislation could see parents being allowed to choose the sex of their baby, it has emerged.

 

According to a report in the Irish Independent, a parents right to decide the gender of their baby will be part of the first law regulating fertility treatments and will permit couples to only implant a healthy embryo in the womb. This could potentially be done to avoid passing on a serious inherited disease to the baby. 

 

The technique is known as pre-implantation genetic diagnosis.

 

"Sex selection would only be permitted where there is a significant risk of a child being born with a serious genetic disease," said Department of Health chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan told the Oireachtas Health Committee yesterday.  

 

He added that the level of State subsidy for people undergoing treatments had not been decided yet. Currently, all treatments must be done privately and can cost hundreds and thousands of euros depending. 

 

 

Surrogacy will also be permitted as part of the regulatory overhaul as long as no money changes hands. 

 

This would be a first step in setting up an overall watchdog to regulate fertility clinics and treatments in Ireland, none of which are currently subject to any regulation. 

 

Women will be allowed to be assessed for fertility treatment up to the age of 47 years but there will be no age restriction for men and single people and gay couples will be allowed to avail of State-sponsored fertility treatments.

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