Senator accused of 'bigoted, cold and cruel' surrogacy comments says she was treated unfairly

Senator Sharon Keogan said in her belief that surrogacy was 'harmful, exploitative and unethical' and 'not in the best interest of the child'. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

A senator accused of making “bigoted, cold and cruel” comments about surrogacy during a committee meeting has complained that she was treated unfairly for airing her personal views.

The Oireachtas committee tasked with examining laws to regulate surrogacy was suspended on Thursday after independent senator Sharon Keogan was accused of being "crude" and insensitive towards witnesses who had shared their experiences.

Complaining afterwards, Senator Keogan wrote to committee chair Jennifer Whitmore about how she was treated by acting chair Kathleen Funchion and by her fellow senator Lynn Ryane.

“I wish to object to this deeply personal attack on me during a public meeting and contend that the language used by the member was inflammatory, discriminatory and sought to characterise me and my contribution unfairly,” Senator Keogan wrote in an email later.

Heated exchanges

During heated exchanges, Ms Ruane accused Ms Keogan of being "bigoted" in her views adding she should "check her Christian values".

Ms Funchion suspended the meeting, saying there were people who had been waiting for years for legal issues around surrogacy to be properly examined.

"Their children have grown up without it," she said.

Ms Keogan responded that the committee should not be used as an "echo chamber for one view" and that it should allow space for all perspectives. She told committee witness Gearóid Kenny Moore, who, with his husband, had twins through surrogacy, that he was "extremely lucky to be here today".

Matters escalated significantly after Ms Keogan said that in her belief surrogacy was "harmful, exploitative and unethical" and "not in the best interest of the child".

"I don't believe it is everyone's right to have a child. It is a privilege to give birth,” she said.

Ms Keogan said it was important that the surrogate mother was not "airbrushed out of the process".

Commercialisation of the human child

She said she wholeheartedly objected to what she called the commercialisation of the human child and the regulation of women to the status of simply incubators or wombs.

"If we have learned anything from the mother and baby home scenario, where people were trying to find out who they were and where they came from and they couldn't do that, I want to see this regulated but it is so important that we don't airbrush and whitewash the birth mother out of the process,” she asked.

Responding to Ms Keogan’s contribution, Elaine Coholan of the Assisted Human Reproductive Coalition said it was very important that members of the committee "think about your responsibility to lead the debate in a respectful, dignified way, around surrogacy" and to be aware that their words matter.

"Inflammatory language and using undefined terms do not benefit the debate. Our members are ordinary people who have, in some cases, been through harrowing experiences. We are doing our best to be good parents to our much-loved children," she said.

In her email after the meeting, Ms Keogan said she was asked to apologise to a witness.

“I believe that no apology is due because the acting chair shut me down while I was trying to finish a point which she arbitrarily decided to misinterpret,” she said in response.