Senator Keogan resigns from Committee on Children

Meath's Senator Sharon Keogan has resigned from the Oireachtas Committee on Children.

The Duleek based independent senator said in an email to fellow members that she “no longer feels safe or protected as member of Committee “.

Her resignation comes following a fiery meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on International Surrogacy last Thursday, at which she claims she was bullied.

Senator Keogan said however she will continue to sit on that committee,

She hit out at the inflammatory, discriminatory language used against her at the meeting last week,

She was told at that meeting by Senator Lynne Ruane to “check your Christian values” and was described by Senator Ruane as “crude and cold”.

Senator Ruane said members of the committee should not oppose matters because of “personal bigotry” but should “critically engage” with a topic.

Senator Keogan has now written to the committee chair Deputy Jennifer Whitmore "to object to this deeply personal attack on me during a public meeting."

She said the language used by Senator Ruane was "inflammatory, discriminatory and sought to characterise me and my contribution unfairly,”

Speaking to the Meath Chronicle this week, Senator Keogan said she had been bullied. "This was a very unparliamentary way to talk about fellow senators or deputies.

"I am very disappointed at way way some of my colleagues reacted to me,” she said.

“Reference to my religious beliefs is also unacceptable and I take great exception to this reference which is one of the grounds under which citizens are protected under the Equality Acts.”

Senator Keogan had told the meeting, which had been hearing evidence from witnesses with experience of surrogacy, including those who had had children conceived using assisted human reproduction, that she was opposed to international commercial surrogacy on the grounds that it was “harmful, exploitative and unethical”.

"I am not opposed to altruistic surrogacy but I am opposed to the commodification of the human child and the exploitation of the surrogate, especially in poor economies," she told the Chronicle this week

"I have absolutely no problem with the make-up of any family, as long as the children are loved, safe and secure."

In her letter to Deputy Whitmore she said; “My own view is that surrogacy can be justified but that commercial surrogacy raises profound ethical issues which must be fully explored.”

At last Thursday's hearing she was asked to apologise for her remarks and Elaine Cohalan of the Assisted Human Reproduction Coalition urged committee members to use respectful language.

“Inflammatory language, and using undefined terms don’t benefit the debate,” Ms Colohan said.

The hearing was suspended by acting chair, Kathleen Funchion after Senator Keogan said that Gearoid Kenny Moore, a representative for Irish Gay Dads, was “extremely lucky to be here today.”

Senator Keogan says she was not given an opportunity to explain what she intended to say:

“At a meeting the day before another group who wanted to speak at the hearing was deemed not relevant because they had only 1,500 social media followers, but Mr Kenny Moore's group only has 1,000,” she explained afterwards.

“I want not given the chance to finish the point I was making.”

Senator Keogan said the committee was “an echo chamber,” only wanting to hear views from one side.

“Evidence should be obtained from a wide variety of witnesses with differing views,” she said.