An Independent Senator has resigned from an Oireachtas children’s committee after enduring fierce criticism in a related committee for airing objections to commercial surrogacy.

In a private meeting on Wednesday, Ms Sharon Keoghan unsuccessfully sought an apology from two other members of the Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy. Senator Keoghan was told to “check your Christian privilege” by Senator Lynn Ruane who also condemned her for describing commercial surrogacy as “exploitative” to people who have availed of the practice and were addressing the committee.

Shortly afterwards Ms Keoghan wrote to the Oireachtas Committee on Children, chaired by Sinn Fein’s Kathleen Funchion (who had chaired the bruising encounter at the Surrogacy committee last week), saying she was resigning as she did not feel safe any longer. She is remaining on the surrogacy committee, however.

“I wish to inform you that I wish to resign my position as a member of the above Committee,” she wrote. “I will continue to sit on the Joint Committee on International Surrogacy.

“I no longer feel safe or protected as a member of the committee and have made this difficult decision as a result of that. I will offer my place to an Independent Senator from my grouping and will correspond directly with the Seanad office in order so that a Committee of Selection can be convened.