Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the witnesses to the committee. Being parochial, it is great to see a Cork connection.

It is very important to acknowledge that people who undertake fertility treatment have already been on a very long and painful journey and do not enter this new chapter very lightly. I would like to see in any proposed legislation on fertility treatment a statement to mark the pain that the couple have experienced already. It should be borne in mind that in these circumstances people are very vulnerable and desperate and will spend any amount of money.

Many of my questions were asked already but will the witnesses comment further on how the treatment process can be offered in a non-commercialised way? How can we ensure that this service does not become over-commercialised?

When a child is conceived in a different way, often it can impact on him or her when the hormones kick in. Have the witnesses any proposals on how to support a child conceived through surrogacy during their teenage years? Professor Wingfield said that infertility has been recognised as a medical condition. Does she not agree with that statement and will she expand on her thoughts on this?

Dr. Kennedy made a reference to subsection 5(d) that there should be a one year delay to treatment.