Ms Marian ? Tuama:

To start, it would be useful if a number of sessions on implications were provided. There could be meetings with the intending parents, with the surrogates separately and then with all parties, that is, the intending parents, the surrogate and the surrogate's partner, if the surrogate has a partner, in order that all those stakeholders are in the room together and that there is an opportunity with each party to tease through their particular role. Then, at the end, there could be a round-table discussion, as referred to earlier, in order that everybody is on the same page before the process moves forward. That is what I would recommend.

As for the budget for it, I am afraid I do not have an answer to that to hand. At the moment specialist fertility counsellors work either in fertility clinics or in private practice, where we are engaged directly. I do not work and have not worked for a State agency in that regard so I do not have any answer to that question, I am afraid.