Ms Sharon O'Shea:

The Chairman asked about the impact on us if the process does not change or if it takes a long time to change. I hope it will have changed before Lucy reaches the age of 18. I will remain positive about that. If it does not change, it means I have three children when I only have two. It means my sister is guardian to her daughter when she is "Mammy" to her daughter. It means Lucy has legal rights to perhaps my home, my family life or anything to do with me as time goes on as she is noted as a child. She has no proper paperwork in place for her legal rights going forward. We are in a very awkward situation. We are a very close family, as the Chairman can see, and it is not a problem but if we were not a close family, that may be a problem but, thankfully, for us it is not. Whatever about me and Marie being on this journey, we have to get this over the line for Lucy. She needs her rights as a little girl to be fit to get on with her life and, please God, to start her family some day as the person she should be stated on her birth certificate alongside the names of her mum and dad.