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

We are only regulating one issue in respect of AHR. Clearly, broader legislation is required. Last week I outlined the range of issues involved. The Bill is the appropriate place in which to regulate the issue of parentage. It is the right thing to do for children who are born through DAHR. Such children are being born, but they do not have legal security in their families. We are dealing with that issue. The Government stated it would address the needs of children in these circumstances.

Regarding children in diverse family types, let us revert to some points made. There were 215,000 lone parent households in 2011, the latest year for which we have full statistics. There were 4,000 same-sex couples living together. Some 66% of the 115,000 divorced or separated women were living with their children. There were 49,000 households with cohabiting couples with children under 15 years of age. The number of children living in households headed by cohabiting couples increased by 41% between 2006 and 2011. Do we want to discriminate against these families if they want to have children using the technology of AHR and DAHR that is available to them?