Dr. Geoffrey Shannon:

We welcome the provisions around surrogacy. There needs to be a deterrent. The approach adopted in the Bill is proportionate. It is worthwhile to bear that in mind. We are cognisant of the issues the committee has raised and we are cognisant of avoiding being overly punitive. We need to ensure that a child does not end up in a legal limbo. To that end, we have made submissions to temper some of the provisions. However, in our view it is an excellent starting point, and perhaps further fine-tuning would deal with some of the excesses. To convey the impression that the Bill is flawed would misrepresent the Law Society's position. We support the provisions. We have concerns around commercial surrogacy and in our view the Bill is a proportionate response to addressing those concerns.