Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 May 2019
166. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the advocacy organisations, survivors groups and stakeholders she has met or plans to meet to discuss draft amendments to revise elements of the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21212/19]
View answerThe Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016 seeks to respect the rights to identity and privacy, which sometimes conflict with one another. Given the constitutional context, striking the balance between these rights is proving challenging.
I have received submissions from a range of diverse stakeholders and lobby groups regarding the Bill and both myself and my officials have met with many of these groups and individuals both specifically in relation to the Bill and on the sidelines of other fora. In recent months, in the course of deliberations over revisiting the provisions relating to privacy in the Bill, I have considered the views expressed in relevant reports and debates on this matter by advocacy groups and by members of the Oireachtas. I have also considered the many representations made to me by members of the public and by stakeholders generally.
Some of these groups and individuals have expressed concerns about specific aspects of the Bill, and in particular, the requirement for adopted people to sign an undertaking declaring that they would not contact their birth parent. Having listened to these concerns, I engaged again with the Office of the Attorney General seeking to revisit the privacy provisions and strengthen the right to identity. As the Deputy will be aware, I secured Government approval to draft amendments to seek to revise these provisions in the Bill.
Once these amendments are finalised, it is my priority to progress to Committee Stage of the Bill in Seanad Éireann as soon as possible. This legislation will only finally succeed if members of the Oireachtas support it. It reflects my sincere efforts to tilt the balance more strongly in favour of applicants' right to identity and access to birth information, while maintaining necessary protections for a small cohort of potentially vulnerable birth parents.
