The Irish LGBTQ+ community has expressed a positive response to the amendments made to a new surrogacy bill.
The organizations LGBT Ireland, Equality for Children and Irish Gay Dads have issued a statement welcoming the updated regulations while also raising concerns about the bill’s ability to provide equal protection for same-sex families.
In the statement released on December 15, the three LGBTQ+ groups commended the changes agreed upon by the cabinet, stating that they will expand the coverage of the Children and Family Relationships Act and establish a law regarding international surrogacy for the first time.
They emphasized that these amendments are a step towards achieving equality and fulfilling the desires of the people who voted for marriage equality in 2015
Following the announcement, the LGBTQ+ groups held a briefing attended by several members of the Oireachtas, including Minister for Justice Helen McEntee TD, Labour Party Leader Ivana Bacik TD, and the Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy. They also had meetings with Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and other officials from the department, highlighting the significance of these discussions in advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and the well-being of their families.
While expressing their happiness at the intention to expand the Children and Family Relationship Act to include more families, the groups also voiced reservations about certain aspects of the amendments
Irish Gay Dads raised concerns about existing families potentially being required to go through an expensive High Court procedure to be recognized as parents. Additionally, they expressed worry that prospective Irish gay fathers may face obstacles in pursuing international surrogacy in countries like the USA. It is important to ensure that the government’s proposals are inclusive of LGBTQ+ individuals who have fewer options in terms of international surrogacy.
The Health (Assisted Human Reproduction) Bill 2022 has already passed the Second Stage in the Dáil in March 2022. The revised amendments will now be debated in the Dáil at the third stage, although no date has been set for this discussion.
Has your journey to parenthood been impacted by the current surrogacy law in Ireland? If you would like to share your story we would love to hear from you at mystory@ivfbabble.com
More on paths to parenthood for LGBTQI community
