Vol. 537 No. 2
258 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health and Children when he intends to publish the adoption contact register Bill; if he will consider placing the heads before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children to facilitate debate on the issues addressed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16030/01]
259 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health and Children if access to birth records will be available to adopted people born before the adoption contact register Bill is enacted under the terms of the Bill, heads of which have been agreed in Cabinet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16031/01]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 258 and 259 together.
The Government approved the draft heads of the adoption information, post-adoption contact and associated issues on Tuesday last, 22 May. The proposals give information rights including access to birth certificates and personal information from files to three groups of people – people adopted and other parties to adoption since the Adoption Act, 1952; people adopted, and other parties to adoption, from the enactment of the legislation and people who were raised in care. The heads of the Bill have now been referred to the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel for drafting of the legislation. Some of the areas to be dealt with are extremely complex. However, I hope to be in a position to publish the Bill before the end of the year.
