Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 February 2017
244. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will ensure that information sources holding records pertaining to illegal adoptions, particularly instances in which no adoption order exists, will be compelled under the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016 to transfer their records to the Adoption Authority of Ireland. [9133/17]
View answer252. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will ensure that information sources holding records pertaining to illegal adoptions, particularly instances in which no adoption order exists, will be compelled under the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016 to transfer their records to the Adoption Authority of Ireland. [9161/17]
View answer260. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will ensure that information sources holding records pertaining to illegal adoptions, particularly instances where no adoption order exists, will be compelled under the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016 to transfer their records to the Adoption Authority of Ireland. [9265/17]
View answer288. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will ensure that information sources holding records pertaining to illegal adoptions, particularly instances in which no adoption order exists, will be compelled under the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016 to transfer their records to the Adoption Authority of Ireland. [9063/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 244, 252, 260 and 288 together.
Adoption records are currently held by the Adoption Authority of Ireland, Tusla and agencies accredited under the Adoption Act 2010. Under the proposed legislation, the Authority will have overall responsibility for the safeguarding of all adoption records, including information relating to informal adoptions and persons whose birth was incorrectly registered. All adoption records, which are currently held in a number of locations, are to be transferred to the custody of the Authority. The Bill provides that the records are to be indexed and a searchable electronic database of the records is to be created. The Authority is to ensure that all adoption records are to be kept in a suitable and secure location. The Bill also provides the Authority with wide ranging powers to collect records including those related to incorrect birth registrations.
