Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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103. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when she will sign a commencement order or orders to bring the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 into force; if there is going to be a phased implementation of the Act; the various parts of the Act which will be commenced and the proposed timing of commencement orders being signed in respect of each part of the Act. [16020/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, section 1 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 provides for the commencement of different Parts of the Act by different Ministers, because the Act addresses policy responsibilities of several different Ministers. My Department is working on an implementation plan for those areas which I will be commencing with a view to their commencement without undue delay. All of the necessary legal infrastructure must be in place prior to commencement, such as rules of court, court forms, regulations, and so on.

I note again for the record that I committed jointly with Minister Varadkar that Parts 2 and 3 of the Act, concerning parentage of children born through donor-assisted human reproduction, would not be commenced for a minimum period of one year from enactment, to provide an appropriate transition period and ensure that couples currently undergoing donor-assisted human reproduction treatment could continue that treatment.