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 move amendment No. 41:



In page 35, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following:

“(5) In the case of children and adults born as a result of a DAHR procedure that was performed before the date on which this section comes into operation,

the Minister shall—(a) permit persons who provided a gamete or embryo that was used in a DAHR procedure that resulted in the birth of the child to register their particulars on the National Donor-Conceived Person Register to assist donor-conceived persons in establishing their genetic identity, and

(b) assist all such donor-conceived persons in establishing their genetic identity.”.
This amendment addresses an issue I raised earlier about donor-assisted human reproduction that has taken place before the Act will come into effect. The amendment provides that in such scenarios the Minister will permit persons who provided a gamete or embryo used in a DAHR procedure that resulted in the birth of a child to register their particulars on the donor-conceived register to assist donor-conceived persons in establishing their genetic identity. More significantly, the amendment requires the Minister to assist all such donor-conceived persons in establishing their genetic identity. The reason for this is that it will be more difficult for people conceived prior to the Act to get any kind of information and be able to piece together their genetic history. My amendment puts responsibility on the Minister to assist in so far as possible and not completely ignore those people. I welcome the fact that a register will be put in place but we need to do something for people conceived prior to this legislation.

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