Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach for the opportunity to say a few words. What I want to say is this: this legislation matters. It matters to the hundreds and possibly thousands of children who have been born through surrogacy and to their mums and dads, some of whom have never had full parental rights for their own children. I have met many of them. I received a beautiful video from two of them in the last few days. It matters to the many women and men whose last chance of having a child is through surrogacy.

It provides a clear, safe process through which they can now seek to have a child and be fully recognised as parents of that child, a process that protects the child and protects the surrogate. It matters to the many women and men who are using or who want to use assisted human reproduction to have a child. It builds on the new fertility services we have put in place with GPs and regional fertility clinics, where approximately six and every ten intending parents can have their issues successfully dealt with and advanced treatments including IVF. It builds on the State-funded IVF model that we have rolled out. It will now help facilitate donor-assisted IVF, including for same-sex female couples, and I am committing to funding that. It matters to the children who have been born through assisted human reproduction and surrogacy by ensuring their right to information right throughout their lives.

Many people have made this Bill possible. There are the extraordinary representative groups, such as Irish Families Through Surrogacy, Equality for Children, LGBT Ireland, Irish Gay Dads, and the National Infertility Support and Information Group. There has been amazing input and work by officials and clinicians. I refer to my officials, and two members of the dream team of three, are present in the Chamber with me today. There are also the officials from the Departments of Justice and of children. There also has been input from HSE clinical experts, private sector clinical experts and everyone involved in the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction.

This day is also possible because of the tireless work and bravery of colleagues in the Oireachtas. The Joint Committee on International Surrogacy deserves great credit for its very well considered, thoughtful and balanced report. I thank the Oireachtas health committee for all its work on this Bill during pre-legislative scrutiny and everything that has gone with it. I thank my Government colleagues, namely, the Ministers, Deputies Helen McEntee and Roderic O'Gorman. I especially want to thank the Minister, Deputy McEntee, who has been very passionate about supporting the progress of this Bill. Last, but most certainly not least - indeed they should be first in that list - are individual Senators and Deputies. I must make special mention of Senator Seery Kearney and her advocacy for years to help to bring about this day.