Mothers don’t know where they stand with international surrogacy legislation – Seery-Kearney

There is a pressing need for legislation that recognises the mothers of babies born through surrogacy abroad, a Fine Gael Senator said.

Senator Mary Seery-Kearney, Fine Gael Seanad Spokesperson on Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Privacy Rights, noted that only the child’s father is legally recognised as a parent at present.

“We need to ensure we aren’t trailing behind on this. A new assisted human reproduction regulatory authority would help to channel people to countries with a strong legal framework around surrogacy,” Senator Seery-Kearney said.

“It’s a difficult situation when mothers are questioning where they stand. Currently, mothers can obtain guardianship status only after two years.

“In some cases, the fathers of children might be facing a serious illness. This is extremely worrying for families who are already in a vulnerable situation.

“Back in July, the Surrogacy Joint Oireachtas Committee launched a ground-breaking report for Ireland, recommending a framework to ensure we are supporting ethical international surrogacy. It recognises that families are formed in many ways, and no family will be discriminated against by virtue of the circumstances of the birth of their child.

“We are making tremendous progress, but the fight continues, and the next step is ensuring all recommendations are legislated upon”, concluded Senator Seery-Kearney