Opponents seek amendment to bill for same-sex parental rights

OPPONENTS OF a proposed law giving same-sex couples access to adoption and other parental rights such as IVF treatment claim it “commodifies children and puts the wants of adults before the needs of children”.

The group, Mothers and Fathers Matter, said that the Irish Government is effectively legislating to deny children access to either a mother or a father and it is seeking to have the bill radically amended.

The Children and Family Relationships Bill was approved by the Cabinet this week and is due to be debated in the Dáil – the Irish parliament’s lower house – next week.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny described the bill as “the most important change in family legislation in the history of the Irish State”. His Government hopes it will be signed into law by 24 March, ahead of the May referendum on same-sex marriage.

Dr Tom Finnegan of Mothers and Fathers Matter said on the Irish state broadcaster RTE: “By opening up access to adoption and assisted human reproduction to same-sex couples, the bill will in effect deprive children in these contexts of either a mother or a father.”

Bishop Kevin Doran, the bishops’ spokesman on ethics, said he was concerned that the bill seeks to redefine the meaning of parenthood.

He added that it was “designed to prejudge the outcome of the forthcoming referendum on the meaning of marriage”.