No More Delays to put pressure on ministers to advance surrogacy rights in Ireland.LGBTQ+ parents face unique challenges throughout the adoption and surrogacy processes, including discrimination and lack of legal protections.
Because of the outdated laws in Ireland, many adoptive parents of children born through international surrogacy do not have the legal standing to take their own child to a doctor’s appointment or apply for a passport.Despite the Special Joint Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy report in July 2022 and three government ministers outlining plans to advance the work conducted by their respective departments in December 2022, little progress has been made in securing rights for children of LGBTQ+ families.As the campaign outlines, in April 2023, Minister Stephen Donnelly pledged to present the legislation to the House before the summer recess.
Since then, “there has been no discernible progress, only a trail of unfulfilled promises, missed deadlines, and families left in a precarious legal limbo.”The video campaign includes messages from several gay dads in Ireland speaking directly to Minister Stephen Donnelly and demanding no more delays with the surrogacy legislation: “Minister Stephen Donnelly, the spotlight is on you”.
A post shared by Irish Gay Dads (@irishgaydads)In the video comments, several Irish parents emphasise that they have been waiting long enough for the legislation and it’s time to act.