AHR: Assisted Human Reproduction. This includes artificial insemination with sperm from a woman's husband (AIH), artificial insemination with sperm from a donor (AID) and in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), where the woman's egg is fertilised outside the womb and then implanted.
Embryos: There are various technical terms used to describe the fertilised egg at various stages, but embryo is the term most commonly used.
Sperm manipulation: This is a technique used in the fertilisation process, where only sperm capable of producing an embryo of one particular sex are used.
Pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PIG): This is a technique where a gene carrying a specific genetic disorder is identified in the embryo. Normally this embryo would not then be implanted.
Donation: Sperm and eggs (ova) can be donated by third parties to assist infertile couples where either one or the other is incapable of producing sperm or eggs themselves. These can either be implanted in the womb of the commissioning mother, or be borne by a surrogate.
Surrogacy: This arises where a woman cannot carry a child and another woman does so, either with her own eggs fertilised by the husband, or with eggs harvested from the commissioning mother.
Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction: membership
CHAIRWOMAN: Prof Dervilla Donnelly, emeritus professor of organic chemistry, UCD; Dr Carole Barry-Kinsella, obstetrician-gynaecologist, Rotunda Hospital, Dublin; Helen Browne, chairperson of National Infertility Support and Information Group; Dr Alpha Connelly, chief executive of Human Rights Commission; Mary Cooke, office of Attorney General (resigned 2002, replaced by Christine O'Rourke; Prof Thomas G Cotter, Department of Biochemistry, UCC; Nora Geary, Unified Maternity Services, Cork University Hospital; Prof Andrew Green, professor Medical Genetics, UCD and director medical genetics, Crumlin Hospital, Dublin; Caroline Harrison, psychotherapist, Human Assisted Reproduction Ireland (HARI) unit, Rotunda Hospital, Dublin; Dr Noirín Hayes, head of social science and legal studies, DIT; Benny Hennelly, midwife, HARI unit, Rotunda; Dora Hennessy, Department of Health and Children (resigned 2001, replaced by Brian Mullen); Dr Declan Keane, master, National Maternity Hospital, Dublin (resigned 2001, replaced by Dr Mary Wingfield); Geraldine Luddy, director Women's Health Council; Prof Marina Lynch, Department of Physiology, Trinity College, Dublin; Dr Deirdre Madden, Law Department, UCC; Dr Miriam McCarthy, Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Northern Ireland, (replaced Dr Glenda Mock, who resigned in 2000); Dr Paul McCarthy, child psychiatrist, formerly St James's Hospital, Dublin; Dr Aonghus Nolan, embryologist, fertility unit, Galway University College Hospital; Prof Anthony Ryan, neonatal paediatrician, Cork University Hospital; Prof Gerry Whyte, Law School, Trinity College, Dublin.