Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The precarious part is that at that stage, by the time the Department is engaging and the emails with all of the documents are going to it, a baby is born. We have embryological standards and we touched on that a little at our last meeting. We know that embryos that were created in Ireland can be sent out to clinics abroad. Those clinics have been confirmed by the likes of the Rotunda Hospital or other medical organisations in Ireland and then a baby is born. If a predetermined genetic link could be established it would provide further assurance. I am not in any way undermining the assurance provided by the documentation but there is a precariousness there in terms of a failed DNA test. Guarantees cannot be given because nothing is known until the DNA result comes back. That email is an extraordinary email to get and it gives one a huge sense of relief. The issue is that a baby is born and if something could happen prior to that which would be of assistance in terms of the integrity and the safeguarding of the baby, that would be good.