Niall Ó Donnghaile (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus roimh an Bhille atá os ár gcomhair. Tréaslaím leis an méid atá ráite aige go dtí seo agus molaim mholtóirí an Bhille, na Seanadóirí Doherty agus Seery Kearney. I begin by welcoming the Minister of State and thanking colleagues who have introduced this important Bill. I apologise to colleagues for missing their contributions. I was at a committee meeting. I wanted to contribute to this important debate. I acknowledge what Senator O'Loughlin said, that we recognise and appreciate that there may be complexities, but this is about resolving them and getting to where we need to be. I welcome our guests to the Gallery.

I begin by thanking Senadóirí Regina Doherty and Mary Seery Kearney for bringing this Bill to the Seanad and allowing us an opportunity to speak on a matter of huge importance to the people of this country, especially the families affected. This rarely receives public attention because of its sensitive nature. I commend all involved, including Deputies, Seanadóirí and their staff, who have organised a number of events in the Seanad and the audiovisual room in recent days and weeks to publicly highlight aspects of life which directly affect women and men to different degrees. These events have covered the importance of breastfeeding, the impact of menopause and the impact of stillbirth and miscarriage, as well as today's Bill, Civil Registration (Amendment) (Certificate of Life) Bill 2022. All the events have shown the great work that has been done and what needs to be done to further improve the quality of women's lives and consequently the lives of their partners and families.

The World Health Organization named October as menopause awareness month. Two days ago, 18 October, was World Menopause Day. We have all experienced, within our family or among friends and neighbours, the joy of a new arrival and the great hope that it engenders for the future for everyone involved. A new arrival is a very public affair. It is one of life's definitive and welcome occasions, where the parents or single mother are rightly at the centre of everyone's attention and praise. For all involved with the new arrival, it is a positive, personal, life-affirming and memorable occasion, but life teaches us that in the bearing and rearing of children, joy and sadness are opposite sides of the coin of life. Today's Bill reflects the sadness side of that coin of life because it addresses the loss of a child through miscarriage and the emotional impact of that loss on the mother and father.

The Bill specifically calls for the setting up of a non-statutory new form of registration, called the certificate of life. It specifically identifies this need on the basis that a miscarriage can occur at any time in circumstances that do not meet the requirements for a stillbirth registration under the current law. The proposed amendment will ensure that a certificate of life will be available to any woman who has lost a baby outside the current regulations which provide for a recognition, in law, of the loss. The certificate of life is important to the grieving parents who have experienced the miscarriage. It represents recognition by the State of the child's existence, recognition of the loss and of its emotional impact on the mother, father and family. It should also result in those affected being provided with the kind of support that is available at the moment to those who experience stillbirth, as well as parental leave, access to bereavement care and medical advice. At a time of great emotional turmoil following a miscarriage, this thoughtful legislation will play its part in the grieving process and help the parents concerned to manage the loss of their child. That is what this is about at its heart.

I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's response. I think he will find willingness to engage with the Department and Minister across the Seanad to ensure that any complexities, issues and concerns can be ironed out, because we have the potential to do something. With that potential, there is also a great obligation to ensure that we get this right. This Bill, as proposed by Senators Doherty and Seery Kearney, shows us the way to get there.

I support the legislation, wish it well and look forward to its continued passage through the House. For all of the reasons that I have outlined, and reasons which other colleagues have and no doubt will outline, I hope to see the legislation come into effect as soon as possible.