Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Donnelly for his reasonable suggestion which I would be pleased to accept. It can achieve what my colleagues opposite want to achieve which is that I will come into the House within six months and have questions and answers and statements on how we are progressing with the assisted human reproduction Bill. I am pleased the committee signed off on a report today and I look forward to it being debated in the House. I am more than happy and I give a commitment, which will be recorded in the Official Report and will be facilitated by the Government in terms of our engagement with the Business Committee, that within six months I will come to the House and at the very least will be in a position to give a detailed update on how the assisted human reproduction Bill is progressing. I will then answer questions on the issues in so far as it is possible to answer some of the questions that have been outlined by the Deputies. I take the point, and I share the view, that there are an awful lot of people watching this debate at home tonight who are not provided for in the Children and Family Relationships Act. It was reforming legislation backed by, as far as I remember, almost all Members of the Oireachtas. It was an important step forward. What we are trying to do tonight is get that done and be able to let those families move on with their lives and with what the people wanted to happen in terms of recognition of their families. It focuses the Oireachtas and the Department on the assisted human reproduction Bill. I would be happy to come back into the House to keep the pressure on me on this issue and to take questions and answers and statements in whichever way the Business Committee wishes to design it.

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