Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

What powerful contributions all the witnesses have made. I will start with the less emotional one and look to the counsellors. They made valid points. It is important for couples on this journey and is the first thing they have to do. We need to distinguish that we have same-sex couples who are not at the end of a big IVF journey or do not, perhaps, include a woman who has encountered health issues. We need to acknowledge that they have rights and need to also have counselling and supports. For opposite-sex couples, there is an element of mourning the losses, the hopes and the anticipated things of the future, like no one will ever say your child looks like you, perhaps, because they will assume, or people will make assumptions around the birth. That is important.

Would we have objectivity questions if the same counsellor was counselling and supporting both the surrogate mother and the intended parents? Although there will be a need for coming together, I wonder about that. The counselling psychologist in me is wondering if there are ethical issues of independence, in the same way we have about legal elements.

I address Ms O'Shea and Ms Reid. I have asked Emma's permission to do this and she is in the room with us. You have my heart. Hearing this is very hard but it also brings incredible joy to hear the women who are surrogates are coming from a place of great love and care. I send a big hug over to Emma. Ms O'Shea and Ms Reid articulate incredibly well that experience. It appears that Ms O'Shea visited the baby.