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

The meeting at 3.30pm will be broadcast from Committee Room 2 of Leinster House and will be split into two sessions.

·       Session 1 from 3.30pm-4.30pm – Representatives from Data Protection Commission, Dale Sunderland, Deputy Commissioner and David Murphy, Assistant Commissioner.

·       Session 2 from 4.30pm-5.30pm – Representatives from Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), Sinéad Gibney, Chief Commissioner, Professor Ray Murphy, Commission Member, and Maria Mullan, Policy and Research.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, Committee Cathaoirleach Deputy Kathleen Funchion said: “Pre-legislative scrutiny of this Bill is a priority for the Committee. Following receipt of written submissions from interested groups and individuals, we are now engaging with relevant stakeholders and we look forward to hearing the views of the Data Protection Commission and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission on the Heads of this Bill.”

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.