Vol. 468 No. 4
181 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Health, in relation to his speech on 26 June 1996, if it will be necessary for an adopted person to be entitled to his/her original birth certificate to enable him/her to use the administrative national contact register as envisaged by him; and if legal difficulties can be overcome in this area. [15406/96]
The establishment of a comprehensive legal framework for post-adoption contact between birth parents and adopted persons and access to birth records is a priority of the Government. It is my firm intention that the necessary enabling legislation will be brought forward as quickly as possible after the Supreme Court determines a case stated to it by the Circuit Court which will have a direct bearing on the nature and scope of the framework that will be put in place.
In the meantime, I have decided to establish a national contact register on an administrative basis for the registration of birth parents and adopted children who wish to contact each other. It will not be necessary for an adopted person to produce his or her birth certificate in order to use the national contact register.
