Seanad debates

Thursday, 26 March 2015

Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Committee Stage

 

10:30 am

Photo of Averil PowerAveril Power (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to respond to Senator Walsh's suggestion that this Bill is being progressed for one reason only. The subtext to his contribution is that said reason relates to the marriage equality referendum. The legislation before the House has been in the offing for ten years. As previously stated, many children who have been born through assisted human reproduction - mainly to heterosexual couples - do not know who are their legal parents. Regardless of how anyone intends to vote, these are legal issues and they have nothing whatsoever to do with the referendum. Earlier, the Minister provided statistics in respect of different family types in Ireland. She indicated that approximately 200,000 households are headed by single parents and that 230 are headed by same-sex parents. The proportion of gay and lesbian people to which the Bill relates is minute. It is a deliberate misrepresentation to claim that the Bill is being rushed through.

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