Assisted Human Reproduction

UN report warns against all forms of surrogacy

Both commercial and so-called ‘altruistic’ surrogacy could amount to the sale of children, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children has warned. Our Government normally likes to listen to the UN. Will it do so on this occasion? The report, presented to the UN Human Rights Council, by Ms...

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Time for a bigger spotlight on rogue fertility clinics

We hear a lot in the papers about ‘rogue’ pro-life counselling agencies. But what of rogue fertility clinics? The fertility business is huge and anxious couples pay a very great deal of money in their efforts to become pregnant, efforts that often result in failure. Sally Cheshire, chairman of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)...

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Ireland must have a debate about gene-editing

Ireland needs to have a debate about the use of ‘CRISPR’ technology, a gene-editing technique that can affect the DNA of future generations of human beings. A number of eminent scientists and bioethicists have recently called for a moratorium on techniques to make genetically modified children. They believe that a proper debate is urgent in...

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Our politicians’ blind spot about the natural ties and children

The Oireachtas Health Committee met recently for the last pre-legislative scrutiny of the Bill that will regulate Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR). The hearings have confirmed that the Committee suffers from huge blind spots about some of pitfalls of AHR and the undermining in many cases of the rights of the resultant children. Two representatives of...

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Refusing to engage with the ethical harms of surrogacy and donor-conception

The General Scheme of the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill was before the Oireachtas Health Committee this week. The proposed law covers such issues as sperm and egg and embryo “donations”, pre-implantation diagnosis and sex selection, embryonic and stem cell research, etc.  The hearing was anything but constructive. The well-reasoned objections of witnesses like Emma O’Friel...

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‘Mother’, ‘father’ to be replaced by ‘parent 1’, ‘parent 2’

The forthcoming legislation on assisted human reproduction is set to build on the extremely radical approach to family relationships put in place by the Children and Family Relationships Act from 2015, a law that greatly demotes the importance of the biological ties between parents and children. In an article published in the current issue of the...

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Proposed AHR scheme allows gamete donation from close family members

A few months ago, The Iona Institute submitted a document to the Oireachtas Committee on Health regarding the General Scheme of a Bill to regulate Artificial Human Reproduction (AHR).  It is co-written by Dr Joanna Rose, who is herself donor-conceived. Two weeks ago, The Irish Times reported our submission. The report said our submission “claims”...

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Submission to Health Committee on Assisted Human Reproduction Bill

The Iona Institute made a submission to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health earlier this year concerning the General Scheme of the Assisted Human Reproduction Bill 2017. It can be found here.

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Ireland’s proposed surrogacy law

David Quinn was on RTE’s ‘This Week’ on Sunday to discuss Ireland’s proposed surrogacy law. The proposed law will outlaw commercial surrogacy but permit non-commercial surrogacy for which ‘reasonable expenses’ will be paid. Irish people will still be able to avail of commercial surrogacy abroad. David argued that surrogacy in all forms commodifies children and...

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Fertility clinics will be allowed to sex select ‘perfect’ embryos

By David Mullins

The movement toward the provision of genetic based ‘therapies’ with a clear eugenic intent has moved one step closer to becoming a reality in this State. As the Irish Independent reports, the proposal is being introduced under the guise of permitting the sex selection of an embryo in fertility clinics setting, prior to implantation, “where...

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