Minister Roderic O’Gorman TD, has today (11 May) published the General Scheme of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill. The groundbreaking legislation will provide a full and clear right of access for adopted people and others with questions on their origins to birth certificates, birth and early life information. The legislation takes a comprehensive approach, encompassing all people who may have a question in relation to their origins and supporting access to the broad range of birth, early life, care and medical information that may be contained in institutional or other records.
Over and above access to information and records, the legislation also establishes a comprehensive tracing service for persons who want to make contact, share information or request information from a birth relative. It also establishes a new statutory Contact Preference Register. People will be able to apply to this register where they wish to record their preference in relation to having contact with birth relatives, as well as where they wish to lodge, for the attention of a specified relative, communications, contemporary medical information or requests for information.
These proposals were developed by an Interdepartmental Group established by Minister O’Gorman and will be the subject of consultation with those affected by illegal birth registration in the weeks and months ahead.Speaking on the published legislation, Minister O’Gorman said:“For too long, adopted people and others have struggled with unanswered questions in relation to their identity and origins, and have felt the acute distress and inequity of that. This is why the government is bringing forward this proposed legislation which will unlock access to crucial information on a person’s origins; information which has been beyond their reach for too many years.”
The purpose of the legislation is to recognise the importance of a person knowing their origins, and to achieve this through the full release of the birth certificate, birth information, early life information, care information and medical information for all persons who were adopted, boarded out, the subject of an illegal birth registration or who otherwise have questions in relation to their origins.