Expected passing of Assisted Human Reproduction Bill in the Dáil is a welcome relief for families – Seery Kearney

The passing of the Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR) Bill in the Dáil today is a very welcome relief to the families waiting to apply for lifelong recognition of their parent child relationships, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

The AHR Bill provides a regulatory framework for reproductive interventions in Ireland as well as transparency in donor assisted human reproduction. The Bill will move to the Seanad before the Summer recess.

Senator Mary Seery Kearney said: “Historically the Bill provides a regulatory framework for domestic and international surrogacy ensuring the rights and protections for surrogates, children and intending parents.

“The Bill also crucially provides a means by which children born from past surrogacies can regularise their relationship with both of their parents.

“To date there has only been legal recognition of the biological father as the life long legal parent, mothers and second fathers can only apply for guardianship and custody which expires on the child’s 18th birthday. At that point those parents become legal strangers to their own children. 

“Extraordinary work has been done to bring a complex mix of legal rights to this point and it is most welcome. There are some matters which can’t be completed in time by the summer recess and they will be dealt with in a supplementary bill in September.

“This bill will provide a pathway for parents to apply for their parental orders in circumstances where their relationship with the biological father is estranged and there is a danger that the parental order application process would be weaponised by that parent. The Minister is mindful of the needs of those parents and will acknowledge them today when addressing the house. 

“I have campaigned for our surrogacy community families to have an equal recognition so today is a relief – now on to the Seanad and the bill being signed into law. Applications for parental orders, including my own, will hopefully commence this autumn,” Senator Mary Seery Kearney concluded.