Emer Higgins (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will ask a couple of quick questions. I thank all our witnesses for being with us. It has certainly been very interesting. It has been particularly interesting to hear about the research outcomes. In 2011 or 2012, I was involved in the launch of the Growing Up in Ireland longitudinal survey so I was particularly interested to hear about the research Ms Nic Dhomhnaill referenced. It is very interesting to hear that 90% of families were in contact with the surrogate mother after the first year and 60% of them were in contact a decade later. When we think of how that lady's life may have changed in a decade, it is quite an incredible feat and shows the strong bonds and connections. Ms Nic Dhomhnaill's response to Deputy Funchion on the rate of psychological outcomes being better when there is assisted reproduction is also very interesting. I have a couple of questions on those studies. Will she give us a little more information about where they were conducted, how people were selected or came forward to participate and, most important, whether anything has been done to track these or other families since 2017?

I note the two major considerations from the Ombudsman for Children's Office - it encourages that consideration be given to amending the Bill around "the origins of children born through international surrogacy and ... [those] already born through surrogacy" and how they are recorded and, in particular, that the application to obtain identifying and non-identifying information should be done "without limitations as to the child's age." I would love to learn a little more about how that might work in practice and why the ombudsman is saying "without limitations", given what we have heard from Ms Nic Dhomhnaill. Our remit as a committee relates to the international aspect but, if possible, I would love to hear whether Ms Nic Dhomhnaill believes the committee should make a recommendation on those two key recommendations she has given us, through domestic surrogacy.