A childless couple who took out an advertisement in the Irish Times last week seeking a surrogate mother have appealed for regulation to address the grey areas which currently surround the topic.

However, a spokesman for the Department of Health said there is currently "no time frame" for regulation of the area to be introduced here.

This is despite a recommendation by the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction four years ago that surrogacy should be permitted and regulated here.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, 'Claire' told the Sunday Tribune that the couple would meet any expenses associated with the pregnancy, but said the issue of paying a prospective surrogate mother additional money is "not something that can be done to be honest".

"We'll support the child and the mother, obviously you can't say we'll give you this much to carry our child, but we will be 100% supportive of the lady. She will not be left without earnings due to the pregnancy," she said.

She estimated that the entire process, including medical care and expenses for the surrogate, would be "less than €20,000".

Claire and her partner took out the notice in the personal advertising section of the Irish Times last week. It stated: "Surrogate mother sought for genuine couple unable to conceive", and provided a mobile telephone number for the public to call. They had received "two or three" calls from women willing to consider acting as a surrogate mother for them.

"My ovaries are working but I can't carry a child. I've known this since I was a teenager," Claire said.

"We are extremely happy in our lives, and have been very very fortunate in every other aspect... it's not like we want to go out there with placards. But I would like to see this legalised or regulated."

The department spokes-man said surrogacy is being considered "under the general framework of regulation for the area of Assisted Human Reproduction".

Asked if, in the absence of regulation, a couple might be breaking the law in either attempting to procure a surrogate or offering to pay someone for their services, the spokesman said "the inference is that there are no laws to be broken".