Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I commend Deputy Bacik and the Labour Party on bringing forward this fantastic legislation which seeks to close some unfortunate loopholes left by the original landmark legislation. I commend LGBT Ireland and Equality for Children on their steadfast and continued advocacy on this issue. I acknowledge their presence in the Gallery. This Bill seeks to amend the original Act in six main ways to include children conceived with a donor pre-May 2020, children conceived in non-clinical settings, children conceived outside of Ireland and children born outside of Ireland, as well as to provide for judicial discretion and to provide access to citizenship. I am proud to support this Bill for the same reasons I was proud to support marriage equality and gender recognition; because it is the right thing to do. My relationship and my children are worth the same as those listed previously; no more and no less but equal. As legislators, it is our job to work together to create the most equal society possible. Anything less than full equality is completely unacceptable.

I was proud to march in the first-ever Pride parade in my constituency of Clare with my team in September last year. I acknowledge the work of Quare Clare in organising it. On the day, we had a beautiful celebration and from the outside looking in, it would be easy to say that marriage equality was the end of it and the fight is over. That is far from the reality. Pride is a celebration but it is also a protest. There are still important milestones for full equality in this State that we have yet to achieve. Legislating to protect all families under the rainbow, assisted human reproduction, banning conversion therapy and sorting out trans healthcare and recognition are not just important tasks, they are essential and we must get on with it. We are all born and die, we all bleed when we are cut, we all love, cry and laugh. We should all be equal in the eyes of the State. As legislators and as people of conscience, we should accept nothing less for all of our constituents than total and complete equality.

I am told that losing a parent is one of the hardest things in the world. Let us imagine how much more painful that situation would be if the parent who died was your legal mother and your surviving parent's legal connection to you was severed the day you turned 18. For anyone born of donor-assisted human reproduction before 2020, that is a very real risk. What about having absolutely no legal relationship with one of your parents, like children conceived in non-clinical settings? These are just two examples of the very real consequences that arise from this legislation continuing another day without amendment. I understand that the Minister intends to put a stay of nine months on the Bill in order that the assisted human reproduction Bill can be commenced first. These families have waited far too long to be equal. It is deeply unfortunate that this Bill should be put on ice because the Government could not get its act together to progress the assisted human reproduction Bill sooner. Putting a stay of nine months on this Bill is a high risk when, as pointed out, the Dáil could be dissolved by then. It is regrettable. This Bill should not be frozen because the Government does not have its ducks in a row. I urge the Minister in the strongest terms to withdraw the amendment and let us get on with this important work. After all, equality delayed is equality denied. I commend Deputy Bacik and her party on bringing this Bill forward, as well as LGBT Ireland and Equality for Children for their continued advocacy. I am proud to support this Bill.

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