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	Geoffrey Shannon says parts of Bill need to be reconsidered</p>
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	Proposed legislation requiring that at least one prospective parent of a child born to surrogacy must be under the age of 45 could amount to age discrimination, the Government special rapporteur on child protection has said.</p>
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	In a paper to be presented at the EU presidency conference next month on the Children and Family Relationships Bill, Geoffrey Shannon said the provision should be looked at again.</p>
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	Scheme<br />
	He also raised concerns that provisions aimed at prohibiting commercial surrogacy punish the child rather than the perpetrators.</p>
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	The general scheme of the Bill was published by former minister for justice Alan Shatter in January. It provides a framework for surrogacy and assisted human reproduction for the first time in Ireland.</p>
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	It also introduces new legislation on parentage, child maintenance, guardianship, custody and access, and powers to enforce custody and access orders.</p>
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	A note in the scheme says a maximum age for surrogacy is suggested in the legislation &ldquo;to increase the likelihood that at least one intending parent will live well into the child&rsquo;s adulthood&rdquo;.</p>
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	Payment<br />
	There is no such age limit in the UK, where surrogacy was first legislated for in 1985, though courts do take into account age when considering applications for parentage.</p>
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	The Irish Bill also stipulates the court will not make an order of parentage for a child if the surrogate mother is under 24 or if an unpermitted payment was made to her.</p>
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	&ldquo;The effect of this is to deny parentage to the child,&rdquo; Mr Shannon said. This would lead to denied citizenship and might affect the child&rsquo;s rights, and should be reconsidered.<br />
	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	<a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/parental-age-limit-in-surrogacy-law-could-be-discrimination-1.1800599">http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/parental-age-limit-in-surrogacy-law-could-be-discrimination-1.1800599</a></p>
