Mother says surrogacy means she is not recognised as daughter's legal parent

Cathy and Keith Wheatley with their twins Elsie and Ted protesting outside Leinster House last November about delays to assisted human reproduction legislation. Cathy was back on Kildare St yesterday, but this time inside, at a session of the Oireachtas committee for children. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The mother of a child born by surrogacy broke down as she told the Oireachtas how she had to sit in a car while her daughter was treated in hospital.

This was because while Cathy Wheatley's husband Kevin is recognised as little Elsie's legal parent, she is not. As a result, she was unable to be by her two-year-old daughter’s side when she had to be treated in hospital recently after contracting Covid-19.