Sharon Keogan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am sorry I missed Ms Cohalan's statement this morning as I was late coming in due to a hospital appointment. I thank the delegations for sharing their personal journeys and statements with us. The evidence given today has been compassionate and heartbreaking. I appreciate them sharing it.

I am probably one of the dissenters and I wholeheartedly object to the commercialisation of the human child and the regulation of women to the status of simply incubators or wombs for hire. Irrespective of whether a person is heterosexual, single, lesbian, gay or transgender, surrogacy is harmful, exploitative and unethical. I do not believe it is everyone's right to have a child. It is a privilege to give birth and it can be dangerous, even for those with the best medical attention.

I have a couple of questions. Why do most European countries not allow commercial surrogacy? Why has the Spanish High Court very recently indicated that commercial surrogacy constitutes unacceptable exploitation of both child and biological mother? The same court indicates commercial surrogacy is against international treaties like the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Some may say that mothers do not identify as mothers to these children, but do the witnesses agree it is vital these women be recognised on the birth certificates in some way? Is it not in the best interests of the child born through surrogacy? Is it not better to include or acknowledge on the birth certificate the surrogate mother to honour the entirety of the identity of the child? We should not whitewash or airbrush birth mothers out of the process.

This is about regulation. Have we learned anything from the mother and baby homes matter, where people were literally trying to find out who they were and from where they came? They could not do it. Believe me when I say I want this regulated, but it is so important we do not airbrush or whitewash the birth mother from the process. Will the witnesses answer some of those queries?