Seanad debates

Monday, 30 March 2015

Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages

 

2:30 pm

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

This is one of those wider issues relating to assisted human reproduction which remains fully within the remit of the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar. As the Senator is aware, the Minister is advancing policy proposals in this area. Those proposals will address issues regarding who may access treatment. In the context of measuring long-term outcomes, counselling of individuals or couples considering or planning treatment clearly comes within the Minister for Health's area of policy responsibility. I indicated on Committee Stage that his proposals - which were recently approved by the Government - include requirements to the effect that people availing of all forms of assisted human reproduction, and not just donor-assisted fertility treatment, should undergo counselling in advance of treatment. The Bill the Minister for Health intends to bring forward is the appropriate mechanism under which to establish standards relating to counselling. It will also stipulate the type of counselling that will be offered and the qualifications those offering such counselling will need to possess. On Committee Stage, an interesting point was made to the effect that counselling should be offered by individuals who do not have an association with the clinics but I do not know quite how one would ensure that this would happen. All of these matters will be dealt with in the context of the legislation to which I refer.Already the Government has agreed on the proposals from the Minister for Health that counselling would have to be undertaken by everybody. In fact, as I informed the House last week, that is the situation at present - that there is counselling, but clearly what Senators want is that this would be on a statutory basis in legislation. I support that position and it will be dealt with in the broader assisted-human reproduction, AHR, legislation.

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