Ms Jeannette Woellenstein:

With regard to the Chairman's second question, I would like to answer with the approach taken by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, which one also sees in the preface of preliminary remarks at the beginning of the Verona principles but also in their concluding observations with regard to surrogacy in some states or countries where surrogacy is regulated. Their recommendations do not necessarily differ whether there is no regulation or whether the regulation is poor.

Of course, if Ireland implements some of the Verona principles that would be very encouraging for us but I merely wanted to share with the committee the position on the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child that no regulation and a poorly regulated system might put children and all involved parties equally at risk.