Joint Committee on Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth to resume Pre-Legislative Scrutiny of Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2021

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Kathleen Funchion said: “The Committee has agreed to carry out the pre-legislative scrutiny of this Bill as matter of priority and we have already sought the views of interested groups and individuals through a call for written submissions. We are now engaging with relevant stakeholders and we look forward to hearing the views on the Heads of this Bill with Aitheantas, the Adoption Rights Alliance, Barnardos and the Clann Project.”

The purpose of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2021 is to enshrine into law the importance of an individual knowing their origins. The Bill proposes a right to access birth certificates, birth and early life information for people who have questions in relation to their origins, and also all people who were adopted, boarded out, the subject of an illegal birth and others with questions in relation to their identity. The legislation also proposes the establishment of a comprehensive Tracing Service and a statutory Contact Preference Register to support people wishing to make contact or share information.

It is important to note that the Committee is assessing the proposed legislation which is currently before it and not any other document.

The Joint Committee on Children, Disability, Equality, Integration and Youth has 14 Members, nine from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

The meeting in Committee Room 2 can be viewed live on Oireachtas.ie.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.