Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Minister that this legislation is about far more than one particular group of people. Anyone who is subjected to the ward of court system desperately needs this Bill to pass. From that perspective, I am fully behind the legislation. However, the fact is that there is a community of people in our State who are being left behind and left without a voice. The threshold between voluntary and involuntary is not as clean as we would like to think. Even within the scope of "involuntary", I have had enough circumstances put to me that make me deeply uncomfortable about how someone can find himself or herself in an involuntary situation almost by stealth.

I agree with incrementalism and that we should legislate incrementally. I have enough experience in the surrogacy realm to experience a little eyebrow-raising nervousness when I hear the Department of Health is working on things and still expresses reluctance despite the obvious need for what is in front of them. Last week was an example of that in my experience. I accept and appreciate that the Minister is bringing this matter as far as he can. I know I am being very hard. Having the privilege of standing here as legislators is all the more reason that we should be hard and strong in favour of those who may be rendered voiceless. It is very important. I concur with Senator Black that IHREC needs to be engaged with before we get to Report Stage.