RTE’s Drivetime has asked if the use of donor eggs and sperm from anonymous sources raises ethical concerns given that those children will never know who their genetic parents are. The discussion took place against a background of controversy concerning falsification of adoption certificates by adoption societies in the past.

Mary Wilson interviewed a woman who used “double donor IVF” at age 46 to become pregnant with an embryo created from anonymous egg and sperm. She obtained the embryo in a private clinic in Prague in the Czech Republic where gamete donation must be anonymous by law. She said at the time she and her husband did not talk in detail about the consequences down the road for their child of his anonymous parentage: “it wasn’t something that caused us any consternation”. She did admit though that it does cause her “a small measure of concern”.

Dr Cathy Allen, a consultant obstetrician at Holles Street, said that people often go to the Czech Republic because “access is quite easy” and then they return to Holles Street for ante-natal care. Regarding anonymous donation, she said that doctors do not want to cause any harm, “but you likewise are not there to play God or be in judgement over people and what they decide is right for them and their families.”

She advised that legislation in this area should not be too-restrictive a she felt there is currently not good data on the subsequent welfare of the child, adding that people who say they are damaged may come from donor-conceived support groups and may well be biased. Dr Allen is herself a consultant with the private Merrion Fertility Clinic.