Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 January 2019
596. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of cases of irregular or false registrations of adopted persons that have been identified; the number of persons affected who have been contacted; the number of persons who have been unable to be contacted; the reason therefore; her plans to address the issue; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3053/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am committed to the process of notifying people who are affected by illegal registrations identified on the files of St. Patrick's Guild and providing these individuals with as much information as possible regarding their identity.
Tusla social workers are supporting these individuals as they deal with the news that they have been illegally registered at birth. The information that an illegal birth registration has taken place is potentially life changing and the State has a responsibility to reach a high level of certainty that this has in fact happened before it contacts the individuals concerned. This threshold was reached in the 126 cases which Tusla are dealing with.
The progress made regarding contacting those affected is a matter for Tusla and the process is still ongoing. The Deputy will be aware that the process of contacting people in these circumstances is a sensitive and complex one and the pace must respect the wishes of the individual involved.
The Deputy will also be aware that I initiated a review of adoption records to determine if similar evidence of illegal registration could be identified from the records of other former adoption agencies and other relevant bodies as was identified in the St. Patrick's Guild files.
It is not possible at this stage to anticipate the type of information that will emerge from the review. Given the sensitive personal data contained in the files, data protection and GDPR issues have arisen, which have delayed the review, but these have now been addressed and the final report of the review is expected to be submitted to me before Easter 2019.
