‘Historic’ birth information and tracing Bill passed by Dáil and Seanad

Landmark new legislation giving adopted people access to their birth information has passed through all stages in the Dáil and Seanad and now will go to the President to be signed.

The Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman described the passing of the legislation through the Oireachtas as “a historic moment.”

The Birth Information and Tracing Bill provides for full access to birth certificates and birth information. This right is not restricted, and people will, for the first time, have an unqualified right to their information.

Information and tracing services will open in October of this year and applications for records can be made to the Adoption Authority of Ireland and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.

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[ Immense milestone for birth information law that was only recently thought legally impossible ]

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An information campaign will run from early July which will see every household contacted and informed about what the plans involve.

Speaking in the Dáil, Mr O’Gorman said that the Bill “finally and conclusively addresses the wrongful denial of people’s identity rights over many decades in this State.

“Crucially, the new law finally overcomes decades of legal obstacles to provide a clear right for each person to full access to all of his or her information — no redactions; nothing held back. This Bill represents a very significant part of the redress that the Irish State is making for its failure towards children and women over decades since the foundation of our State.”

“I want to thank every adopted person, everyone who was subject to an illegal birth registration and everyone who was boarded out or resident in a Mother and Baby or County Home Institution, who has engaged in the process of developing this legislation. I hope this law and the information that will flow from it will give each and every one of those persons the answers they have sought for such a long time.”

Under the Bill, a contact preference register must be open for a minimum period of three months before applications for birth certificate and related birth information will be accepted.

The information campaign will run during this time to inform the public of the changes arising from the legislation, and to allow those affected by the legislation to register with the national contact preference register.

The campaign will run in Ireland and internationally and will include an information booklet issued to every house in the country, to radio and newspaper advertising, as well as a poster campaign.

In the case of the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, the Department of Foreign Affairs network of embassies will support distribution of booklets to the network of advocacy and support groups for the Irish overseas which exist. The campaign will begin in early July and the booklet will be issued later that month.

Under the new law, if a preference for no contact is communicated by a parent, an information session will be held and the birth certificate or birth information will then be provided to the applicant.