Adoption Data

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020

Tuesday, 3 November 2020

Ceisteanna (973)

Éamon Ó Cuív

Ceist:

973. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he will take to ensure that both natural parents and adoptees can more easily access their children or parents, as the case may be; if extra funding is to be provided for tracing services in this regard; his plans to introduce legislation to transfer the responsibility for this work to a standalone State agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33638/20]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth

The Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill, 2016 dealt with access to birth certificates and birth information for adoptees and others seeking to know their origins. The Bill lapsed with the dissolution of the Dáil and I am currently committed to advancing fresh proposals in this area which will achieve the policy aim of allowing access to information for adoptees and others. Decisions regarding responsibility for the records and any required additional funding for tracing will be considered in that context.

It is important to acknowledge that this is a subject of fundamental importance to very many adopted people. The issues at the heart of the debate are complex and very personal. I have engaged with representative groups on this issue and will continue to engage widely in order to help achieve a legislative consensus. I am committed to developing legislation that will help deliver the much needed access to information for adopted people.