Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 March 2023
928. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if it has been brought to his attention that survivors of institutional abuse are reporting that where redactions are made to records by way of “white out” as opposed to “black out” they are finding records difficult follow as they cannot ascertain the location of the redaction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12961/23]
View answer929. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will issue guidelines to institutions that redactions should be made to records by way of “black out” as opposed to “white out”; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12962/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 928 and 929 together.
The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 provides a clear and guaranteed right of access to birth, early life, care, and medical information to all persons who were adopted, boarded out or nursed out, subject to an illegal birth registration, or resided as a child in a mother and baby or county home institution. Where this information is available, it must be released in all cases without exception.
In some cases it may be required to redact third party information, for example on a birth register, where individual lines relate to different persons. No redactions are ever made to a person's own information. I am also aware that in a very small amount of cases, historic files of private organisations which subsequently transferred to the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) and the Child and Family Agency, Tusla (known as relevant bodies) contained redactions that are not possible to undo.
With regard to the form that redactions take, this is an operational matter for Tusla and the AAI. However, as both organisations are open to feedback and are happy to engage with applicants, I would urge anyone who is not satisfied with the information they have received to engage directly with the relevant body. Further information on how to do this is available on www.birthinfo.ie. For my part, I will also seek to engage with both bodies on this matter.
