The Department of Justice and Attorney-General says the rights of donor-conceived people to access genetic information about their donors so they can manage their health and personal wellbeing, is to be considered by Parliament.
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Shannon Fentiman said the matter would be referred to the Legal Affairs and Safety Committee for consideration.
“Conception using donated sperm, eggs or embryos has given countless Queensland couples and individuals the precious gift of starting or extending a family,” Ms Fentiman said.
“For those people who are donor-conceived, it is important that they can access information about their genetic identity to better understand their origins and to manage their health appropriately,” she said.
Ms Fentiman said the Legal Affairs and Safety Committee would examine the issue carefully and determine whether a statutory register of donor conception information should be established.
“It will consider the extent to which identifying information about donors should be given to donor-conceived persons, while also taking donors’ right to privacy into consideration,” she said.
“The Committee will consider the experiences of donor-conceived people in accessing information under the current Queensland framework, as well as the views of donors and industry stakeholders, and governance and regulatory frameworks operating in other Australian jurisdictions.
“I look forward to seeing the Committee’s recommendations.”
The Committee is expected to report its findings by 31 August.
