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

The donor-conceived child will have the option of contacting the donor and can ask for this information if he or she wishes. As I have already said, the broader medical information will be dealt with in the Bill currently with the Department of Health. It will set out the rules under which the Minister for Health may be asked to contact a donor or a donor-conceived child in the unlikely event that a serious genetic issue is identified. I say "unlikely" because donor screening is extensive and very likely to identify serious issues and ensure that unsuitable donors are not recruited in the first instance.

I gave some statistics earlier on the amount of genetic issues which arise in donor-conceived children and some research suggests they are approximately 20% less than in the general population because of screening. Gamete donors are screened extensively and the medical histories of between three and four generations are looked at. Where ovarian cancer is known in the female line it would reflect in the screening. In view of the new regulations we are bringing in, at 18 years of age the child is in a position to have access to the donor to look for updated information. That is the key point.