Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

What the Government does in this Bill is to give certainty to donor-conceived children with regard to their parentage. It will enable those who brought a child into being in mutual love and commitment to each other and to the child to be recognised as the child's parents. The Bill addresses the current anomalous situation whereby the second person, who may have shared in all the joys and fears of pregnancy and birth, is recognised as a stranger in law to the child. It rectifies this situation and provides a pathway to parentage for the second parent.

Provisions which recognise two people as the child's legal parents, with full responsibility for caring for and raising the child, are directly beneficial to a child. At the same time, the Bill recognises the importance of ensuring a donor-conceived child can know his or her genetic identity. All of this was strongly recommended by the Oireachtas committee and by the Ombudsman for Children. I believe it is important we deal with this aspect of AHR in this Bill.I believe it is important that we deal with this aspect of AHR in this Bill.