Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Chair and apologise that I was at another meeting and had an oral question in the Dáil. What research has been undertaken by the Department? What engagement with other countries has happened to see how other countries are legislating for international surrogacy? I do not know if this has been asked but the language in the AHR Bill seems to be asking intending parents using a surrogate to prove the surrogacy is within the law set out by the Bill. Has any thought been given to how this might work if it were to be applied in the international case? Are there any plans to reframe the language so that there is not an obligation to prove the surrogacy is legitimate, but a guidance on what legitimate surrogacy actually is, by which I mean, not for profit and so on? Has any thought been given to what a comprehensive agreement might mean in an international context? Nobody would encourage for-profit surrogacy but should the surrogate mother certainly be entitled to reasonable expenses, as would be in the case of domestic surrogacy? Will I go ahead Chair?