Ireland, Surrogacy

Surrogacy in Ireland: “I was born an ‘illegitimate’ child and now I’m branded an ‘illegitimate’ mother”

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In 1979 when I was born, I was an ‘illegitimate baby’. In 2022 I am an illegitimate mother. Illegitimate meaning “not authorised by the law; not in accordance with accepted standards or rules”.

I am damned if my daughter is going to grow up unequal to every other child in Ireland, in the same way I grew up.

My mother led her own powerful silent protest against societal pressure in 1979 by forging ahead and parenting me as she saw fit. Other mothers at the time were not afforded this opportunity, with many children separated from their parents within the mother and baby homes across Ireland at the time. The tragedy at the Tuam mother and baby home and the findings of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes illustrate the harsh environment in which women — mothers — were surviving.

My mother gave me the best start in life, cared for and supported me throughout my life, and still does to this day.

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Ireland, Surrogacy

Ireland – Assisted reproduction bill may only deal with retrospective international surrogacy cases

Source Business Post

The Irish government has struggled to come up with a framework that ethically addresses that parentage issue without endorsing and facilitating international commercial surrogacy

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Ireland, Surrogacy, Ukraine, War

Ireland – FAMILY’S MOVE Rosanna says it’s ‘horrendous’ what’s happening to Ukrainians as surrogate settles in Ireland

Source The Sun

The Irish model said her surrogate Anastasia, and her family arrived in Ireland after a “harrowing and traumatic journey across Ukraine”.

The former Miss World and her husband Wes Quirke welcomed their eldest child, Sophia, through surrogacy in 2019.

The couple travelled to Ukraine to find a surrogate after suffering a heartbreaking 14 miscarriages during their fertility battle.

And they have now welcomed Anastasia her family and their husky dog into their home after Ukraine was devastated by Putin’s war.

The family were previously living in the besieged city of Kherson, which is under Russian control and took a small opportunity to leave after talk of a referendum.

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Gay Parenting, Ireland, Surrogacy

Irish Gay Dads group ‘implore’ Govt to ensure Irish surrogacy families are not ‘left behind’

Source The Journal

REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE Irish Gay Dads group have “implored” the Government to take action to make sure that families that are created through surrogacy “are not left behind” and treated as “second-class citizens in their own country”.

The Oireachtas Joint Committee on International Surrogacy met today to focus on issues faced by same sex couples, both male and female, entering international surrogacy arrangements and achieving parental recognition.

The meeting follows on from the last week’s controversial meeting where Independent Senator Sharon Keogan said she “does not believe it is everyone’s right to have a child”.

The committee had been hearing evidence from witnesses with experience of surrogacy, including those who had had children conceived using assisted human reproduction.

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Ireland, Law, Surrogacy, Ukraine, War

Irish surrogacy in Ukraine: What does the Russian invasion mean?

Source News Talk

Mary Seery-Kearney says the woman who gives birth to the child remains the child’s legal mother

Author Jack Quaan

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has not changed the legal status of surrogate children born to Irish parents.

That’s according to Fine Gael Senator Mary Seery-Kearney – who says regardless of where a child is born, the mother who gives birth to the child remains the child’s legal mother.

It comes amid concerns whether some surrogacy contracts may have been changed if surrogate mothers were to give birth outside of Ukraine.

“The agreement was based on an agreement that is recognised in Ukrainian law, and subject to Ukrainian law, and based on the baby being born in Ukraine.

“When the couple would come home to Ireland, they have to apply to the court in order to get the parental order for the father – because we don’t have surrogacy legislation in Ireland

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Ireland, Surrogacy, Ukraine, War

Four Irish babies born to Ukrainian surrogates in Kyiv hospital – Tánaiste

Source Irish Times

Ukraine is a popular location for Irish couples seeking to have babies via surrogate mothers. Photograph: iStock

There are four Irish babies newly born to surrogate Ukrainian mothers in a maternity hospital in the country’s capital Kyiv, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said.

Mr Varadkar disclosed details about the previously unknown number of babies in Ukraine while making the case against the expulsion of Russia’s ambassador to Ireland Yuriy Filatov.

The Fine Gael leader was speaking about the need to maintain relations with Russia despite growing public and political calls for Mr Filatov’s expulsion over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

“There are four babies in the Ukraine at the moment in a maternity hospital in Kyiv and that hospital could be under Russian occupation within weeks. We need to be able to talk to the Russians,” he told RTÉ’s News at One.

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Ireland, Surrogacy

Ireland – The only legal parent of child born via surrogacy has advanced cancer, court hears

Source The Irish times

A family is asking the High Court to declare that the State’s failure to provide retrospective recognition of parentage of children born through surrogacy amounts to “invidious discrimination” against it.

The court heard the biological and legally-recognised father of the young boy is arranging his will after receiving an advanced cancer diagnosis.

The child’s genetic mother is not recognised as his legal mother, said the family’s counsel, Mark Lynam BL. He said she is currently the boy’s legal guardian, but this relationship will lapse when he turns 18 and he would be “effectively an orphan” if his father died.

The matter has caused the family “tremendous turmoil and stress”, while the case raises significant constitutional issues regarding people who have engaged in international surrogacy, Mr Lynam said.

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Ireland, LGBTQ Parental Rights, Surrogacy

Minister ordered to decide if boy born in UK via surrogacy can have Irish passport

Source Irish Times

The High Court has ordered the Minister for Foreign Affairs to make a decision on an application for an Irish passport for a child who was born in the UK via a surrogacy arrangement.

The boy’s parents are a married same-sex couple residing in Britain. One of his fathers is a dual citizen of Ireland and the UK, but he is not a biological parent.

In a judgment, Mr Justice Max Barrett found that the child has been an Irish citizen from birth due to the citizenship of his non-biological but legally recognised parent.

In 2017, the couple applied to the Minister seeking an Irish passport for their son. The court heard they were told that a number of similar applications had been received and advice from the Attorney General was being awaited.

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Ireland, Surrogacy, Surrogacy Law

Ireland – ‘I will not be recognised as my own child’s mother’ — Georgie Crawford on surrogacy challenges

Source Extra.ie

Former radio presenter Georgie Crawford has opened up about the challenges of surrogacy amid reports that the Government will delay legislation on the issue due to legal difficulties.

In an emotional Instagram post, the Good Glow podcaster called on the Government to change the surrogacy laws and provide ‘a pathway to parenthood’.

Ms Crawford pursued surrogacy after she was diagnosed with breast cancer and placed on tamoxifen medication, which reduces the chance of cancer recurring. However, the medication is not recommended for use during pregnancy due to unknown effects on the unborn child.

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Ireland, Same Sex

Irish same-sex couple ‘so relieved’ after both being legally recognised as parents of their children

Source News Talk

An Irish woman says she and her wife are “so relieved” after becoming one of the first same-sex couples in Ireland to both be legally recognised as parents of their children.

However, she says they can’t celebrate fully until other LGBT+ parents and their children receive the same legal protections they have.

Activist and CEO of Equality for Children Ranae Von Meding appeared on Wednesday in a Dublin court for the final step in a five-year fight

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Ireland, Surrogacy

Surrogacy: ‘As soon as I lay a foot on Irish soil I become a legal stranger to my son’

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Rosanna Davison is one of many parents speaking out against the strict laws in place for international surrogacy. It’s after reports this week that the Irish Government is considering a deferral of part of the assisted human reproductive bill due to legal difficulties. Amanda Cassidy speaks to three Irish families about their experiences of surrogacy and how they’ve been impacted by the gap in our laws.

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Ireland, Surrogacy

Surrogacy – What is the law in Ireland? Here’s all you need to know with John Lynch

Source Tipperary Live

What is surrogacy?
Surrogacy is where a woman becomes pregnant with the intention of handing over the child to someone else after giving birth. Surrogacy is a way for a childless couple or individual to have a child, with a surrogate mother carrying the child. She then carries the child to term, intending to give custody of the child to the person/couple (known as the commissioning person/couple) with whom she has made the agreement.

How does surrogacy actually work?
Traditional surrogacy is where the surrogate carries a child conceived using her own egg and sperm from the intended father. Artificial insemination is used, and the surrogate is genetically related to the child. Gestational surrogacy is when the surrogate carries a child conceived using the intended mother’s egg or egg donor and sperm from the intended father. In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) is used, and the surrogate is not genetically related to the child.

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Ireland, Surrogacy, Ukraine

Ireland – Surrogacy couple welcome hotel quarantine exemption

Source RTĒ

An Irish couple who are in Ukraine have welcomed news that Irish citizens travelling abroad for surrogacy will be exempt from hotel quarantine when they return to Ireland.

The Minister for Health has issued a letter to Mark Hedderman and Sinead Gallagher-Hedderman, which outlines that they will be exempt from mandatory hotel quarantine on their return, subject to new regulations which Minister Donnelly said would be completed tonight.

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COVID-19, Ireland, Surrogacy, Ukraine

Ireland – FAMILY DILEMMA Irish couple face mandatory hotel quarantine with newborn baby born by surrogate in Ukraine

Source Sunday World

They have expressed their shock and upset after finding out that the country has been added to the mandatory hotel quarantine list by the Department of Health.

An Irish couple who are trying to get home after pursuing surrogacy abroad are facing mandatory hotel quarantine with their new born baby when they arrive at Dublin Airport on Saturday. 

Sinead Gallagher-Hedderman and her husband Mark are currently in the Ukraine following the birth of their baby boy Theo to a surrogate eight days ago.

They have expressed their shock and upset after finding out that the country has been added to the mandatory hotel quarantine list by the Department of Health.

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Ireland, Same Sex

Ireland – ‘I’m a non-entity on my child’s birth cert’ – Same sex couples still facing legal limbo

Source News Talk

Same-sex couples are still facing legal hurdles to be named as parents to their children, despite changes that have come into force.

Couples who conceive through IVF or surrogacy can find themselves in legal limbo with no parental rights, despite new laws that came into effect last year.

Ranae Von Meding and her wife Audrey have two daughters – Ava and Arya – who were conceived through reciprocal IVF.

This means the couple used Audrey’s eggs and donor sperm while Ranae carried the pregnancies.

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Ireland, Surrogacy

Ireland – Couples who conceived through IVF and surrogacy fight to be legally recognised as parents Couples who conceived through IVF and surrogacy fight to be legally recognised as parents 

Source The Irish Examiner

Ranae von Meding (left), with her wife Audrey Rooney and their children Ava and Arya. Picture: Mark Stedman

Couples in Ireland who conceived through IVF and surrogacy fear that they may never be legally recognised as their children’s parents, due to a gap in legislation.

New laws on the issue were passed in 2020, however, the new law does not encompass all couples, according to campaigners.

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Ireland, Surrogacy

Gay Irish couple think new surrogacy show on Virgin Media Ireland could help older generations understand process

Source Irish Mirror

A couple who had two kids through surrogacy think a TV show could help older generations understand the process in a more positive light.

Dubliners Brendan and Gavin recently became dads for a second time, welcoming their little girl Lily with the help of the same woman who gave birth to son Theo two years ago.

Documenting their journey to fatherhood in the new Virgin Media Ireland series, Brendan said he is thankful to now live in country that is more accepting of alternative routes to parenthood.

He told the Irish Daily Mirror: “What I think this show is great for is our older generation

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Ireland, Surrogacy

Belfast event hears update on English surrogacy law reforms

Source Irish Legal News

Over 40 members of the legal profession and community/voluntary representatives were welcomed to Law Society House for an event on surrogacy law reforms.

The Law Commission of England and Wales is currently considering the legal parentage of children born via surrogacy, the regulation of surrogacy more widely, and the international context of surrogacy.

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Ireland, Surrogacy

Ireland – ‘DELIGHTED’  Westmeath mum-of-four’s joy over becoming surrogate for friends who stru

Source The Sun Ireland

A WESTMEATH mother-of-four has spoken of her joy in becoming a surrogate for close friends who struggled to conceived.

Becky Dore Loftus said while the surrogacy wasn’t on her bucket list, after talking to friends and considering it she couldn’t see a reason not to do it.

The Midlands mum from Killucan said she struggled with secondary infertility for six years before her second pregnancy after having her eldest child but following IVF, she went on to have twins and a fourth “surprise” child.

She said while she thought she was “definitely finished” after her fourth child was born, she changed her mind while talking with friends who were struggling to get pregnant.

She told Midlands 103: “We were away on a weekend with very very good friends of ours that we’ve known for over 20 years and we were aware that they couldn’t have children.

“We were speaking about our IVF with the couple and I thought, I’m not over the hill. I said I think I would consider [surrogacy], let’s all go away and have a think about it.”

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Ireland, Surrogacy

Ireland – Local election candidate tells of becoming surrogate for her friends

Source Irish Times

A Fine Gael local election candidate has spoken of how she decided to become a surrogate for her friends.

Becky Loftus Dore from Killucan, Co Westmeath, is a mother of four children, including twins conceived through IVF, and is 35 weeks pregnant with a boy.

The 42-year-old, who is standing in the Kinnegad electoral area in the local elections on May 24th, said the idea of becoming a surrogate was arrived at after talking to close friends about the difficulties they were encountering in having a child.

She sought advice through Facebook groups from women in the UK who had also been surrogates, and asked others who had gone through the experience what it was like to hand over a baby.

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