Results 121-140 of 1,029,839 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Réada Cronin OR speaker:Cormac Devlin OR speaker:Richard Bruton)

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: The discussion was considered, as were the two similar amendments, and I thank both Deputies for tabling them. I understand that the intention is to seek a derogation for medical practitioners from the prohibition on knowingly providing a service that is to give effect or further effect to non-permitted international surrogacy. There are two points I want to make. First, section 89(5)...

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Róisín Shortall: There certainly seems to be an inconsistency here insofar as other professionals are not treated in the same way. Legal advice and consular advice are permitted but, arguably, medical advice is much more important. I just do not understand the reason for precluding it. I think it is an omission from the Bill and I will be pressing the amendment.

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: I know we are getting towards the end of the Bill, so, speaking on the amendment, I take this opportunity to thank the Minister, the Minister, Helen McEntee, and their officials for all the work they have put into legally recognising surrogacy in Ireland. I served as the Vice Chair of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on International Surrogacy and, under the stewardship of Deputy Whitmore and...

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Róisín Shortall: Sorry, Chair, is this in order? We are speaking to amendments.

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: It is in order to speak to the amendment. Is the Deputy speaking to the amendment?

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: Yes, I will get to the amendment in a moment. Utilising, as I said, the lived experience and the legal knowledge of colleagues across that committee, including Senator Mary Seery Kearney, with the help of campaigners and expert witnesses, who gave powerful testimony, we put together a very comprehensive report, which has informed the Bill, and from which many amendments that were tabled...

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: This is a very specific amendment, relating to Chapter 3 of the Bill. Will the Deputy please get to the amendment?

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: I thank the Acting Chairman. I will do so. While I absolutely welcome these much-needed and long-awaited changes, the legal underpinning of familial rights and their recognition, validation and realisation, I accept the legislation is not perfect, which is why I wanted to speak to the amendment. The Bill is not perfect - I do not think any legislation is - but in this instance, as the...

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Róisín Shortall: This is complete abuse.

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Emer Higgins: Is that okay, Deputy?

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: I understand why the amendments were tabled but I reiterate what I said. This is a very marginal protection and safeguard that provides that, if intending parents go to a medical practitioner and say they are intending to proceed with a non-permitted surrogacy and want his or her medical help in proceeding with that, the medical practitioner will not be able to do that. The intending...

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Róisín Shortall: I think this prohibition is perfectly understandable in a case before anything happens, but after the event, a medical practitioner is required to provide medical care where he or she is asked for that.

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: That is fully covered. There is a full exemption once a woman becomes pregnant. It will only be beforehand that this will apply.

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Róisín Shortall: They will not be allowed, therefore, to provide any medical advice at all.

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: To a pregnant woman, there is a total exemption. A medical practitioner can provide any advice in that case.

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Róisín Shortall: Beforehand, however, if they are entering into an agreement that may not be a legal agreement-----

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: That will apply only if the medical practitioner is told. If the intending parents say that they are about to do something which is not permitted under law and that they want the practitioner to facilitate that with them-----

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Stephen Donnelly: We are debating two different things. One is best interests, which we debated in one of the previous amendments in terms of its primacy. I accept the ombudsman's hazard position. I just hold a different position for the reasons we have set out. The specific amendments are about the grounds on which a judge can grant a parental order, even if a biological parent, a surrogate or both are...

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh: Róisín.

Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (29 May 2024)

Róisín Shortall: Are we on first name terms? That is becoming a bit of a habit with Sinn Féin. Essentially, the Minister just stated that this is a play for time. I apologise, he did not use the term "play", but he wanted time to achieve a legally robust version of what is proposed in the amendment. The implication is that this is not legally robust. If you want to achieve a legally robust-----