Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is because my motherhood and the motherhood of “these people” is such that we want our children to be equal, we want our humanity to be acknowledged and we want to become parents. We do not believe we have a right to it any more than anybody else, but we want to become parents. When we become parents, we have those responsibilities that come with parenthood, the responsibilities of care and keeping, loving and kindness and earning money to make sure they are fed and clothed, in exactly the same way as my colleagues would. We strive for that. We strive to make sure that, from the day they are born to the day of our last breath, we fulfil motherhood and all of its responsibilities, as well as its incredible joys, its incredible blessings and its incredible experiences. We acknowledge that. We promise that. That is how we are.

I have been called many things in my life, some of them unpleasant. I have earned the title of chief executive. I have earned the title of barrister-at-law. I have earned the title of counselling psychologist. I have earned the title of candidate, which was one of my lifelong dreams from when I was so high. I have earned the title of councillor. I say goodnight to Charlie Haughey every evening on my way out of this House. Every day, I pinch myself at the fact that, at this time, I am here, that I happen to have a life story that supports this legislation, that I have been able to engage with amazing people like Colm, Edward and Pamela, that I have been able to sit down with the Taoiseach of the country to discuss it, and that I have been able to do all of that because of the title of Senator. However, the best title of all is the title “Mammy”. There is nothing like it. It is the best title. The idea that we are people who sunder children from their birth mothers, that we do not honour motherhood and that we dismiss it, is an appalling distortion of the truth.The same goes for the men who pursue being a parent with dedication and who then dedicate their lives to the service of their children. It has been my great honour to meet some of them. I have had my eyes opened to the importance of inclusive terminology and ensuring I refer to both opposite-sex and same-sex couples. We must make sure intending parents are honoured for who they are. We must ensure their experiences are honoured, as well as the experiences of the women.

This is extraordinary legislation. It is comprehensive. Indeed, some people are afraid it is so comprehensive and conservative that they may not be able to avail of it. We have heard the argument that it is too permissive and not tight enough. That does not reflect the experience of the people who are fearful it amounts to prohibition by stealth, which it absolutely does not. We have heard allegations that the legislation will lead to the creation of an industry. There is a total ignoring of all the provisions in the Bill setting out all the stages through which intending parents must go. They will be screened before they even face getting into the actual journey of surrogacy.

I absolutely reject the characterisation we have heard of intending parents. They do not deserve it. The Minister stood up for us valiantly last week, for which I am very grateful. We are human beings. We never dismiss motherhood. We never dismiss the amazing women who are our surrogates. Those women have a voice in all of this. They should not be dismissed as people who all are impoverished and helpless and who are used and exploited by us. None of that happens. I will leave it there. I am sure the Minister has lots to say.