Dr. Niall Muldoon:

As regards what has already been said, Ms Nic Dhomhnaill put it very well. The idea here is that we need to start the conversation long before the child is born. The intended and surrogate parents, as well as the clinics and any other parties that may be involved, need to discuss how this will work once the child is born. The information needs to be clear. There is a need to gather that information. As we stated, we recommend that children get full access to information when they desire it. As such, that information has to be gathered. If one is gathering it, one needs to educate the people involved that the child be informed as soon as possible in the appropriate way, as Ms Nic Dhomhnaill stated. That is the way forward. It is about how one minimises any trauma that may come from the circumstances. I refer to the idea that children always wonder who their parents are and what they thought about them. Whatever the parental background is, children try to figure it out. If one is honest and open with a child in an age-appropriate manner, things become much easier. That has to happen with the professionals with whom the child deals. For example, the GP, the gynaecologist and anyone who had interaction with the child in the first few years has to be honest and open about the background. Those are the sorts of things that need to be considered. That is a question of culture as well as public services.