Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It has been a very emotional kind of session. I also just want to acknowledge Senator Seery-Kearney. She has been invaluable to me in the context of information. I appreciate her sharing her story, as well as everyone else who is here.

So much has been covered and said. I have just a few points. First, I welcome the fact that Equality for Children has solutions in its documents and submissions. We all have a tendency to say it is complex, and it is. However, I have found over the past number of weeks that there are actually loads of solutions out there. It is just a matter of putting them all together in the best way we possibly can. I just wanted to acknowledge that.

Ms Wheatley and Ms Merrigan have kind of already touched an awful lot their personal stories. However, if there is anything else that they want to add, I wish to give them that opportunity. I am conscious that, as they said, this is probably was not something they ever envisaged happening in their lives. Even around the whole process and where they first started, some of which has already been covered, I just want to give the opportunity to add anything.

I want to ask Ms Keegan about secondary infertility. Infertility is a very lonely space. People do not have an understanding of it much of the time and people are very harsh as well in the questions that they ask. Assuming someone gets into a relationship or gets married, people ask, “When are the kids arriving?” Then, if you have a boy, people will ask when you are having a girl. If you have one, people will ask when you are having two. While people kind of mean well, sometimes those comments can be very hurtful. On secondary infertility, sometimes there is a myth that if someone has one child, people will kind of wonder what are they complaining about. Is there anything Ms Keegan wants to say on that? I acknowledge the work she does and the support that she gives to people because, as I said, it is a very lonely space.

The final question is for everyone, if there is time for it. I refer to other models, for example, the Canadian one. We will have witnesses in from that jurisdiction and I look forward to that. The Canadian model acknowledges the bodily autonomy, which I appreciate. It has counselling and everything built in and there is no delay or question mark over when the rights of parentage are transferred over. It is done at birth. That is a good system. I am interested to hear what the witnesses think about that. Are there other models we should be looking at?