Results 19,081-19,100 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Topical Issue Debate: Irish Prisoners Abroad (12 Feb 2015)

Alan Shatter: I would like to thank the Minister for his very detailed response. I know that, during my time in government, initially the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade was very anxious that matters be dealt with by its officials in Egypt, by the ambassador and, indeed, through that Department. The approach - which is the usual approach - was to provide all the consular assistance and advice...

Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Alan Shatter: I welcome the fact that this Bill is in this House and that it is being progressed through the Chamber. It is to be hoped that it will be enacted as soon as is possible. I accept and endorse what other Deputies have said, which is that it is important that the legislation is not enacted with undue haste. I am, of course, very familiar with the provisions of the Bill. It was some...

Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Alan Shatter: -----in the Department of Justice and Equality, without whose support, enthusiasm, commitment and expertise the heads of the Bill which were published on 31 January 2014 would not have been published. They did sterling work when confronted by a Minister who furnished them with a draft Bill. They went on a global tour of various jurisdictions, both within Europe and outside, including...

Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Feb 2015)

Alan Shatter: The legislation in January last gave specific definitions to the concepts of access, custody and guardianship. Those definitions reflected global best practice. I do not understand why they are not in this particular Bill. The definition of best interests of child and what we should have regard to directly reflects what was in the January legislation. I can only assume it is not in it...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: The question I want to raise is as relevant to section 14 as to other sections - that is, the interconnectivity between the section and the definition of "egg" in the legislation. The draft Bill examined by this committee had a definition of "human reproductive material" which included an ovum or part of an ovum. This had relevance in circumstances in which an ovum was provided but there...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: I am interested in listening to the Minister's response on the extent to which this was considered when amendments were made to the legislation. It was always envisaged when the Bill went to a consultative process that it would be improved and that amendments would be made, as that was the whole purpose of the consultative process. However, I am concerned that because of the changes that...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: My problem with that is that this issue was addressed by virtue of the definitions contained in the heads of the Bill, to which this committee gave very detailed consideration, and gave rise to no difficulty or controversy. I do not believe there is anyone in this room, in any of the political parties or among the Independents, or anyone outside this House who would be of the view that a...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: I appreciate that. There has not been adequate consultation on what is effectively the banning of anonymous donors in the context of assisted reproduction. Currently, the overwhelming majority of couples who engage in assisted reproduction using donor sperm or ova are entirely dependent on anonymous donation. There is a risk that this legislation, while providing for recognition of the...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: If I may return to that point, I will be brief. I very much support and have always supported the concept that in so far as is practical and possible children should be able to trace their origins. That is a fairly basic principle. We have failed abysmally to address that issue adequately in the area of adoption. This is because of the constitutional issues and difficulties that arose in...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: Might I finish what I am saying with a final sentence?

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: Today a person can know much more about his or her health vulnerabilities through genetic testing than he or she would ever know from a brief medical history of his or her biological family up to the time he or she was conceived. Since the discovery of the genome and all of the enormous advances in genetic and hereditary medicine, the idea of having a history from the biological parent which...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: What consultation was engaged in with fertility clinics and members of the medical profession engaged daily in treating people in this country in the area of assisted reproduction? Does the Minister know how many children are born annually through assisted reproduction by donation?

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: No matter how the Minister puts it, we are dealing with aspects of assisted reproduction that impact directly on real couples who have to come to terms with the fact that they need assistance in the area of assisted reproduction. For many couples, that is a stressful and emotional period in their lives and we should be careful not to create barriers with unintended consequences.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: The Minister may tell me that what I have to say is relevant to a later section. My understanding of the structure of the Bill is that any parent to whom a child has been born by use of assisted reproduction by donor up to the time when the Bill becomes operative, and who wants the child to be regarded as their own, must make a court application to do so. I am talking about the...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: May I respond? It is relevant because there is a connection between the children to whom the sections apply and the process whereby declarations of parentage are sought in the District Court. We sometimes think we have to invent wheels that have long since been invented in other countries. I do not know the exact statistics but as far as I am aware, there have been many thousands conceived...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: I promise I will not repeat all of this.

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: To assist-----

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: One of the questions I had intended to raise was the one raised by Deputy Mac Lochlainn. There are numbers of people who would use what they describe as traditional methods to effect a pregnancy in circumstances which may not involve intercourse but which may involve a donation, particularly of sperm, which would facilitate somebody becoming pregnant. There is an issue around that and how...

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: Will the Minister respond to my questions?

Select Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage (5 Mar 2015)

Alan Shatter: Sure.