Ms Selina Bonnie:

In conclusion, we appreciate that international surrogacy is, in turn, a part of broader reproductive justice for disabled and non-disabled people alike. We have discussed how prominent discrimination is in other areas of reproductive journeys and sought to highlight them today to avoid such ableism being embedded in the regulation of international surrogacy.

Surrogacy is sometimes what disabled people need in order to become parents. The entire justice and social work systems relating to disabled parents requires a significant overhaul to ensure that the systems are underpinned by clear equality criteria. Amending this Bill to ensure that disabled people can get on the path to parenthood through surrogacy is a very basic starting point.

On behalf of the Independent Living Movement Ireland, my colleague, Dr. Sperrin, and I thank the committee for providing the space for the voices and lived experience of disabled persons to be heard. We are happy to discuss the issues raised in greater detail.