Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have two suggestions for practical solutions. With regard to the upcoming legislation, could the Minister and the Ministers for Health and Justice write to the committee to see if the pre-legislative scrutiny stage can be progressed as a matter of urgency? I believe it falls under the remit of the Joint Committee on Health although I would argue that some of it should fall under the remit of the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth as it affects children's rights. Given that there is consensus on this matter, I believe the Bill could move through the committee and through the Houses very quickly. I believe everyone would support it. That is my first suggestion because we need to look at the legislation and the issue of international surrogacy.

With regard to children who are already with us, the surrogacy groups have really good legal representation and really good solutions based on international best practice. I know the Minister has met with these groups but is it possible to have a more formal meeting between the three relevant Ministers and Departments and those groups to discuss how to formalise the situations of these children so that they can be taken out of this grey area? I believe that could be done within a matter of months.

I know I have gone over my time but I will very briefly note that, over the past two years, we have seen that legislation can be passed quickly when there is an emergency. We can do the same with regard to children and surrogacy.

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