Results 801-820 of 2,078 for speaker:Mary Seery Kearney

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: Nothing new has happened in the last three months that makes the AHR legislation suddenly more urgent whereby it must proceed without the recommendations of this committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: It would be important that this regulatory authority also includes international surrogacy elements and that it provides for it, in order that there can be protections for all three entities, namely, the child, principally, the surrogate mother and any intending parents. This would be so that we have that central authority. I imagine that I am out of time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: I thank Professor O'Mahony for his opening statement and his report, which has been well read and well thumbed by me at this stage. I too had difficulties with the idea this morning that this is not placed within the AHR and does not have a place in it. At the core of surrogacy is infertility, which may be medical or social. Concerning the medical reasons for infertility, we have a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: Contained within the Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill, there is a very definitive answer. I thank Professor O'Mahony for that. Has he seen the issues paper?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: I am really shocked by that. I ask that we would discuss publishing the paper because it is important. It has been in the public domain in certain limited places with certain groups I know of. One of these groups wrote a public letter that addresses where the issues paper points out problems with Professor O'Mahony's report. It is only reasonable, therefore, that once he has sight of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (7 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: I note Professor O'Mahony's comment. I wish to emphasise that just because something is difficult is not a reason to do it. One of the reasons we heard this morning was that the numbers are very small, to quote from the statement that will be published at the end of the meeting. Actually we cannot quantify the numbers because we only know the numbers based on those who applied for an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: This has been an instructive and good discussion. I thank everyone for that. I feel the need to begin by saying we must be sure that the characterisation of intended parents reflects that they are not out to snatch any child. Neither do they ever consider their surrogate mother to be nothing, but as the person who gave birth to their precious and much-wanted child. I clarify this point,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: I agree. In straightforward gestationalin vitrofertilization, IVF, I can go to a clinic, and, with the exception of our next witness's clinic, everyone along the way is paid. The clinic is paid. We do not get into the morality of the size of the payment and the fact that people have to travel to Prague to get cheaper IVF services than they would in Ireland if planning to carry the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: Exactly. It is not unique to fertility.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: My view on issues like that is that some of it is prohibition by stealth at times. I felt the first iteration of the assisted human reproduction Bill was going down that route. Dr. Mulligan talked about the donor end of things and surrogacy being transparent. By its very nature, it is obligatory to be transparent about it. This is really a matter of record rather than a question as such....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: The ECHR said "can" but not "must".

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: It is important that even though it is on the table arising out of the French case, for instance, to come away from-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: It would be important not to conflate adoption in its traditional sense and understanding with surrogacy in the minds of the public. Adoption in this context is merely a mechanism to recognise parentage in the same way as other family law mechanisms could be employed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: Absolutely. I thank Dr. Mulligan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: I have just one point, which is not related to international surrogacy although it is aligned to it. This is the issue of reciprocal IVF in same-sex female couples. An anomaly has arisen either from the Child and Family Relationships Act or from a situation that is not addressed in the AHR Bill. While this is not surrogacy either, it is analogous to it. The situation in law at the moment...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: It is the foreign birth element that is at issue, as well as access to the foreign birth register. I know that Dr. Lydia Bracken has written on this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: I thank Dr. Mulligan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy: Surrogacy in Ireland and in Irish and International Law: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Apr 2022)

Mary Seery Kearney: Dr. Wingfield's comments and starting contribution are incredibly honouring of couples, particularly women, going through fertility. Her reply to Deputy Funchion also honours that. There is a feeling in circles that there is a presumption of mala fides on the part of couples who engage in surrogacy. To hear Dr. Wingfield point out almost a bias in the proposed legislation is refreshing and...