Anne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Yes, but there are no amendments to these sections and there is a thread running through them. Deputy Shatter has mentioned since early this morning that there are different threads running through sections and I agree with the points he has been making all along, but we are only now coming to deal with the points in these sections.

I have done quite a degree of extensive work on the adoption information and tracing legislation. I believe that instead of a contact register being set up in this area for children who are born as a result of the donor-assisted human reproduction procedure, as in the case of children born naturally, a no-contact veto provision should be provided. As much information as possible should be provided both on the donor side and on the side of the child who was born as a result of the donor-assisted human reproduction procedure. That information should be on a register in as much detail as I would be advocating in terms of the adoption information and tracing legislation, so that either the donor or the child could register. They would have to give this information but they could put in a no-contact veto provision stating that they do not wish to be contacted, rather than an application having to be sent to the Minister or whoever seeking the information and the Minister having to check what is on the file. The Minister mentioned that there would be a stakeholders' meeting after this and she mentioned time and again the role of the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar. The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs should certainly be brought into this discussion on this area as well. If the information on the tracing legislation goes through, and I hope it goes through in this Dáil term, and if the Minister takes up my suggestion about including a no-contact veto provision, there would then be a difference between children and adults who are born as a result of the donor-assisted human reproduction procedure and children who are born naturally. I am not sure what is the politically correct way to put that, but that should be re-examined.