Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 9 March 2022
146. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a person who refuses to attend an information session under the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022 will be denied access to their birth certificate. [13139/22]
Amharc ar fhreagra147. Deputy Kathleen Funchion asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the way that his Department, the Adoption Authority of Ireland and Tusla will proceed if a person refuses to attend an information session under the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022. [13140/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 146 and 147 together.
The information session achieves a necessary balancing of EU and constitutional rights in the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022. Through the inclusion of a phone call in this process, the two sets of competing EU and constitutional rights are balanced in a way that does not limit the information that can be provided to someone availing of the legislation, while still acknowledging the privacy rights of mothers.
While I believe that an information session will be required in a minimal number of cases, it will be necessary where a parent has actively ‘opted in’ and registered a preference for no contact on the Contact Preference Register. Where an information session is required and a relevant person chooses to abstain, the person can still make a subject access request. That application will then be considered in accordance with the GDPR.
