Results 3,481-3,500 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I am happy to do it now. I am speaking to amendment No. 21 but I accept the point that it is related to the current amendments. Amendment No. 21 from Senators Mullen and Keogan would essentially mean the mother identified on the parenting order is not the genetic mother of the child and the father identified on the parenting order is not the genetic father of the child. My interpretation...

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I guess it depends on one's definition. I have rarely met anyone who is anti-life. Surrogacy creates more children, children who otherwise would not exist. It creates more mums and dads and creates more wonderful families - that is what it does. While I have taken great exception to the Senator’s characterisation of the pro-life debate, I respect everyone's view on termination of...

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I did not.

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I did not sneer. To be clear, I am not sneering, not at all.

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: No, I am fine.

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Senators for submitting these amendments. However, all three amendments appear to relate to surrogacy whereas the relevant sections each proposes to amend are not primarily or at all concerned with surrogacy. Maybe the intention was to insert them in a different part of the Bill. Amendment No. 5 seeks to amend section 20, which is concerned with the consent of donors of...

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: The question has nothing whatsoever to do with the amendments. Should we proceed?

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: As previously stated, the surrogate will have exactly the same rights as any other woman who is pregnant.

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: The surrogate will have exactly the same rights as any woman who is pregnant. In the same way that no person can interfere with any pregnant woman in terms of the choices she makes, the same situation will apply to the surrogate.

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: Does the Senator wish to give us an example? It is quite a theoretical question

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: The Senator might be able to give an example. All I can say is that the surrogate mother has exactly the same rights as any pregnant woman. The only part of the surrogacy agreement which is enforceable is in respect of reasonable expenses.

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I want to start by acknowledging the Labour Party's support for this Bill. It is very welcome. However, I think descending into name-calling is unfortunate and personalising it in that way is deeply unfortunate. I disagree entirely with how the Senator has just characterised the discussion she and I are having. I know that when I was in opposition, for years and years I tried to convince...

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I would say to Senator Sherlock that it is typically not possible to turn around a Government amendment that quickly. I spent many years in opposition, and I have tabled God knows how many amendments. As we all know, the Opposition amendments do not have to go through the same legal rigour. There is a process in place whereby we must have drafters and we must take legal advice in the...

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I will address this one more time. What Senator Sherlock stated is simply false. The Senator stated that some of the people she has referenced - and I have not used any names in here - were not consulted. I can tell the Senator categorically there was extensive consultation with at least one of the people she referenced. It was an extensive consultation. Unfortunately, it is not true...

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I can imagine that there will be quite a bit of debate on section 51. Before starting it could we take a short break?

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Senators for submitting the first four amendments in this grouping. With regard to amendment No. 9, which proposes to increase the length of time that a prospective surrogate mother in a domestic arrangement has to have been resident in the State from two years to five years, the residency requirement of two years was included to act as a safeguard against trafficking and to...

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Senator. As stated, AHR treatment is generally available at 18. The age limit for surrogacy was set at 21 to reflect the additional complexities and issues that can arise. We were also cognisant of the need to allow enough time for intending parents to be able to demonstrate that they require surrogacy to start a family. The proposal is to move the age to 25. I do not believe...

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I will speak to Senator Seery Kearney's amendments Nos. 49 and 53. I reiterate the position laid out on Second Stage in this Chamber last week, which is that the current policy intent of the Bill is that a court and a judge will have the discretion to waive the residency requirement for retrospective applications. For future applications that will not be the case for the pre-order that has...

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I do not see any reason that we would.

Seanad: Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (20 Jun 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I wish to say three things. First, the Cathaoirleach and I were elected to Dáil Éireann on the same day in 2011. I have sat through and participated in many debates in the Dáil and in the Seanad, as has he. Some of those debates have been very difficult and some have been very divisive. Never until now have I seen a Member of Dáil Éireann or Seanad Éireann...