The Birth Information and Tracing Act was signed into law on 30 June 2022, and all services established under the Act are open to applications since 03 October 2022.
The Act provides for the release of birth, early life, care, and medical information to persons who were adopted, boarded out or nursed out, subject to an illegal birth registration, or resided in a mother and baby home or country home as a child, known in the legislation as a relevant person.
The definition of relevant person does not include mothers and, as such, information release provisions are not applicable to them. However, mothers of relevant persons who died as a child in a mother and baby or county home institution, can apply as a qualifying relative for information relating to their child under the Act.
The Act also established the Contact Preference Register and a statutory Tracing Service which are available to mothers and other relatives. The Contact Preference Register enables mothers to register their preference in relation to contact and enables the passive sharing of information and items. The Tracing Service enables the active sharing of information or contact between two parties.
In addition to the services available to mothers under the Birth Information and Tracing Act, mothers also have rights of access to their information under existing Data Protection Legislation, including the Freedom of Information Act and the GDPR.
Prior to the opening of Information and Tracing services in October, a comprehensive Public Information Campaign utilising TV, Video on demand, Radio, Print, Out of Home, and Social Media advertising ran for three months through July to September, to advise all persons affected by the legislation including mothers about their rights and services available under the Act. It also included a nationwide information leaflet drop to every household in the country, in addition to community centres, libraries, and other residential premises.
More information on the Birth Information and Tracing Act and the services established, including a copy of the legislation and policy guidelines is available at www.birthinfo.ie
