The Children and Family Relationships bill will allow for the transfer by court order of a surrogate mother's parental responsibilities.

According to current law, only the birth mother is the child's legal mother.

But under the draft bill, if the birth mother consents, and one of the 'commissioning' parents is genetically linked to the child - the parental responsibilites can be transferred.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter said this would mean altruistic surrogacy would then have legal protection, but commercial surrogacy would be prohibited