Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

To say I am not impressed by that response is mild, to be perfectly honest, and with due respect to the Minister of State, who is merely the messenger. That the Departments have a view to developing a policy paper is a wholly inadequate and absolutely unacceptable response. There are children in this State who have the right to the two parents, that is, the mother they have only ever known and their second father in the case of same-sex couples.

Last weekend, I had to fill in a form for my daughter that described me as her "guardian". She has not known any other mother. I am her only mother - she would not have been conceived if it were not for me. She would not be alive were it not for me. Unfortunately, I could not give birth to her, but the idea that I am her guardian is unacceptable. That situation will expire when she is 18 and bring with it a whole heap of other difficulties regarding next of kin. It will impact our relationship for the rest of our lives. It is absolutely and utterly unacceptable that at this stage, after all the work that has gone in, all the Departments are doing is developing a policy position. That will go down incredibly badly with the surrogacy community across the country. This relates to thousands of people who came out and expressed their views and disenchantment with the Government and its absolute abdication of its responsibility to the citizens of this State. It is absolutely appalling that we are not in a place where actual amendments to that Bill are not being drafted and that the Departments are still talking about it.