Written Answers Nos. 243-253
243. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will ensure that the national adoption contact preference register is put on a statutory footing in the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016. [9132/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra251. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will ensure that the national adoption contact preference register is put on a statutory footing in the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016. [9160/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra259. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will ensure that the national adoption contact preference register is put on a statutory footing in the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016. [9264/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra287. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will ensure that the national adoption contact preference register is put on a statutory footing in the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016. [9062/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 243, 251, 259 and 287 together.
The Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill was published on 25th November 2016. The Bill provides at section 14 that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, shall establish and maintain a register to be known as the Register of Adoption Contact Enquiries. The existing National Adoption Contact Preference Register (NACPR) will be discontinued. However, all information relating to the NACPR will be retained. Before the new Register is established, each person whose details are on the NACPR will be contacted advising them of the new Register that is being established by Tusla. They will be invited to apply to have their details entered on the new Register. However, where birth parents have already indicated a preference for no contact on the NACPR, details of this preference will be transferred to the new Register.
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]
Amharc ar fhreagra252. 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]
Amharc ar fhreagra260. 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]
Amharc ar fhreagra288. 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]
Amharc ar fhreagraI 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.
245. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the plans in place to reach out to the more than 2,000 people who were sent from Ireland to America for adoption from the 1940s to the 1970s. [9134/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra253. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the plans in place to reach out to the more than 2,000 people who were sent from Ireland to America for adoption from the 1940s to the 1970s. [9162/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra261. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the plans in place to reach out to the 2,000 plus people who were sent from Ireland to America for adoption from the 1940s to the 1970s. [9266/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra289. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to reach out to the more than 2,000 people who were sent from Ireland to America for adoption from the 1940s to the 1970s. [9064/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 245, 253, 261 and 289 together.
The Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill was published on 25th November 2016 and it provides a statutory basis for the provision of information related to both past and future adoptions. The Bill is intended to facilitate access to adoption information and operates on the basis of a presumption in favour of disclosing information in so far as is legally and constitutionally possible. It provides clarity around the information that can be provided and the circumstances in which it can be provided to those affected by adoption. The definition of adopted person in the Bill was drafted so as to ensure service provision in all historical adoptions where a child was placed and brought up outside the State primarily in the USA.
There will be an information campaign for six months following commencement of the Act to publicise the provisions of the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill. Tusla will liaise with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to identify the methods of maximising contact with persons outside of the State affected by Irish adoptions through media outlets, social media and other appropriate methods.
246. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will reinstate the stakeholder adoption advisory groups established by her predecessor (details supplied). [9135/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra254. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will reinstate the stakeholder adoption advisory groups established by her predecessor (details supplied). [9163/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra262. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will reinstate the stakeholder adoption advisory groups established by her predecessor (details supplied). [9267/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra290. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will reinstate the stakeholder adoption advisory groups established by her predecessor (details supplied). [9065/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 246, 254, 262 and 290 together.
In 2003 then Minister for Children, Brian Lenihan TD, launched a consultation process in regard to adoption. As a result of this process in January 2005 the Department of Health and Children published "Adoption Legislation: 2003 Consultation and Proposals For Change". The Report has served to inform the legislative developments that have taken place since then in particular the Adoption Act 2010 and the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016.
The Adoption Authority of Ireland has operational responsibility for adoption in Ireland. In this regard I am advised by the Authority that it is proactive in its consultation with stakeholders. The Authority continues to meet with various stakeholder groups on a regular basis. These include Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, the Departments of Health and Children and Youth Affairs, and the various Bodies accredited to provide adoption services and various country-specific adoption support groups (e.g. Viet South and the Irish Chinese Contact Group).
I am also advised that during 2016, the CEO and/or members of the Authority's Senior Management Team met with the Adoption Rights Alliance, Irish Foster Care Association, Childrens' Rights Alliance and Treoir. The Authority also resumed meetings 'on circuit' which allowed it to meet locally based groups, e.g. 'Know My Own' (Cork), the Sligo Family Resource Centre and Danu. The Authority intends to meet with local adoption groups in Galway and Waterford later this year. Furthermore the Authority has held a variety of information seminars involving all stakeholders.
I have no plans to establish the stakeholder adoption advisory groups but I have asked the Adoption Authority to keep me advised of any issues which arise in their consultation.
