Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 May 2012
576 Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when we expect the Adoption (Tracing and Information) Bill to reach Second Stage in Dáil Éireann; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25154/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraConsiderable progress has been made in drafting the Heads of Bill for the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2012. The proposed legislation has been included in the legislative programme for my Department for 2012 and it is one of a number of Bills which I intend to introduce in the Oireachtas during the course of this year.
While the drafting of the Heads of Bill is still under way in my Department, I can say that it is currently intended that the Heads of Bill will provide for the Adoption Authority to have responsibility for the safeguarding and maintenance of all adoption records in the State. It is also intended that the Heads of Bill will provide that the Authority is to have responsibility for ensuring that access to those records is provided to an adopted person or to a birth parent, in accordance with the Bill.
The draft Heads of Bill will be submitted to Government for approval prior to commencing the drafting of the Bill. It is not possible to give a publication date for the Bill at this stage.
577 Deputy Dominic Hannigan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the way the proposed Adoption (Tracing and Information) Bill will allow the adoption and tracing services to interact with persons who are looking for information; the way it will deal with persons who were adopted pre 1950s and whose medical records are not in public ownership but with private publicly funded organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25155/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraConsiderable progress has been made in drafting the Heads of Bill for the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2012. The proposed legislation has been included in the legislative programme for my Department for 2012 and it is one of a number of Bills which I intend to introduce in the Oireachtas during the course of this year.
While the drafting of the Heads of Bill is still under way in my Department, I can say that it is currently intended that the Heads of Bill will provide for the Adoption Authority to have responsibility for the safeguarding and maintenance of all adoption records in the State. It is also intended that the Heads of Bill will provide that the Authority is to have responsibility for ensuring that access to those records is provided to an adopted person or to a birth parent, in accordance with the Bill.
The draft Heads of Bill will be submitted to Government for approval prior to commencing the drafting of the Bill. It is not possible to give a publication date for the Bill at this stage.
