Same-sex couples face barriers to getting a passport for child

MARRIED same-sex couples who need a passport for their donor-conceived child are having to declare one is a lone parent because the law has not caught up with marriage equality, the Oireachtas health committee was told yesterday.

LGBT Ireland chief executive Paula Fagan outlined some of the practical barriers same-sex couples are facing because both cannot be recognised as parents.

She said if they wanted a passport for their child, one must sign an affadavit saying they were a lone parent.

“They are saying that it cannot be right. They have all the documentation and it is a real dilemma,” she added.

The committee was hearing submissions on the General Scheme of Assisted Human Reproduction Bill 2017 which will regulate fertility treatments.

LGBT Ireland legal adviser Lydia Bracken asked for the new legislation to allow for a pre-conception model of parentage, when a baby is being born to a same-sex couple through surrogacy. The couple would be recognised as parents before the baby is born.

Under current proposals, an application for a parental order could not be made earlier than six weeks and not more than six months after the child’s birth, she said.

A pre-conception order would ensure both intended parents had full legal powers to care for the child and ensure it is legally integrated into the family from birth.

Asked by Fianna Fáil TD Stephen Donnelly whether many surrogate mothers changed their mind and wanted to keep the child, Ms Bracken said this was very unusual.