The State is appealing against a landmark High Court ruling which allowed the genetic mother of surrogate twins to be named on their birth certificates.

A statement issued this evening by the Department of Social Protection says the government has agreed the judgement should be appealed to the Supreme Court to clarify a number of points of law of exceptional public importance.

It was the first case of its kind before the Irish courts as the genetic mother of twins challenged the refusal of the Chief Registrar to legally recognise her as the mother and won.

That decision is now going to be appealed to the Supreme Court as the government wishes to clarify a number of important legal points.

In a statement issued this evening the Department of Social Protection says the judgement raises important questions about how motherhood may be determined under Irish law and has potentially very serious consequences which could, by linking motherhood exclusively to genetic connection, affect a potentially large number of families.

It says legislation in this area is currently being prepared and it expresses concerns that the High Court ruling may have the effect of tying the hands of the Oireachtas in making future laws in the complex areas of surrogacy and assisted human reproduction.