By Peter McGuire | thejournal.ie | July 14, 2020
This article provides a brief history of the rights of parents in Ireland whose children are conceived through assisted reproduction. The author posits that legal protections for children conceived outside traditional heterosexual relationships still fall short. For example, birth certificates of children born to same-sex couples do not recognize both parents as legal guardians. In one case, an Irish couple who conceived a child with the help of a surrogate in the United States had to sign an affidavit stating that one parent is a legal stranger in order to attain an Irish passport for their newborn. Despite recommendations from the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR), the article asserts that legislation has yet to be made to make assisted reproduction more accessible for all family structures involved.