Ms Ciara Merrigan:

I have a brief comment on what Professor O'Mahony was saying on the assessment process, the assessment of whether somebody is suitable to go ahead with surrogacy, and that we want to try keep that here as domestic rather than international surrogacy. It will be very important that we look at the length of that assessment. When we look at adoption at the moment, I hear of couples spending two or three years going through the adoption process. Again, if it was to be a very prolonged assessment process, that would then drive parents overseas to carry out their journey.

There was a question on the current political situation in Ukraine and the couples who are currently engaged in their journeys over in Ukraine. It is correct there are a number of couples there and I think there are close to 14 babies due to be born by the end of May in Ukraine. I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, and Senator Seery Kearney for all their assistance with all the families currently going through the process in the next couple of months. They are being a huge support to them. I hear from couples who are on the ground at the moment waiting on the birth of their children that things are very calm over there. Their clinics are being supportive and the embassy is as well. I thank the Minister and Senator for that.