New fertility laws follow court ruling

New legislation on assisted human reproduction is currently being drafted by the Department of Health (DH).

The move follows a Supreme Court ruling stating that frozen embryos are not protected by the unborn right to life provisions as set out in the Constitution.

The ruling also means there is no longer any dispute regarding the legality of contraception, such as the morning-after pill.

It was decided that the term "unborn" can only be used to describe embryos when they are implanted in the womb.

The Supreme Court decided that, without regulating assisted reproduction, Ireland could become known as a country where unregulated practices take place.