Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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39. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has contacted all persons who were wrongly registered as biological children of adoptive parents in respect of St. Patrick’s Guild, Dublin; if she has instructed Tusla to review all historical records at the institution; if all records of other non-State adoption agencies and boards were contacted to determine if other similar false registrations were carried out in full rather that just a sample of same; her plans to review State bodies in respect of their historical adoption records; if her attention has been drawn to State bodies in which situations exist that merit investigation in respect of offering adoption services and or advice on same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24820/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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As the information that an incorrect birth registration has taken place is potentially life changing, the State has a responsibility to reach a high level of certainty that this has in fact happened, before it contacts the individuals concerned.  This threshold has now been reached in the case of the 126 St Patrick’s Guild files.

This is a very serious and sensitive issue. People have the right to know of their true origins and, where we have clear evidence, I believe we have an obligation to tell the people affected.  Some may know already, but for others it will be entirely new and very difficult information indeed.

As an immediate step, Tusla has put in place a Helpline, operating from 10 to 4 each day, Monday to Friday, and has also put significant information on its website.  Both will provide information in relation to what to expect if you are one of the people affected by the incorrect registrations that have been identified in the records of St Patrick’s Guild. 

There will be a social worker-led process of making contact with those affected that can be identified. This includes the person who was incorrectly registered (the child), the birth mother and the people who participated in the incorrect registrations and subsequently raised these children as their own.  

I would emphasise that the process will be measured, sensitive, and at the pace of the individual concerned.  There will be no sudden phone calls or unannounced visits to people’s doors.  The process of offering contact and supporting those affected will be handled very carefully and will take account of the requirements of the individuals. 

In view of what has been found in a subset of the St Patrick’s Guild records, those index cards marked ‘Adoption from Birth’, we need to know whether there may be similar evidence of incorrect registrations in the records of other adoption societies. 

I have asked an Independent Reviewer to oversee a targeted sampling process of relevant records held by Tusla and the Adoption Authority in the first instance to see if we can establish clear evidence of incorrect registrations.  Marion Reynolds is a former Deputy Director of Social Services in Northern Ireland.  I am asking her to report to me within four months of the work commencing.

There are some 150,000 records at issue, of which 100,000 are currently in the custody of Tusla and the AAI.  We need a well-planned sampling process first of the Tusla and AAI records to see if a major trawl of these is likely to give us hard evidence of incorrect registrations. Hard evidence is necessary before individuals can be informed.

Tusla found evidence in the St Patrick’s Guild records primarily because of the marker adopted from birth on index cards.  If this had not been present it would have been extremely difficult to identify even the 126 cases that they have found so far.  I would sound a note of caution to say that it may not be the case that such a clear marker, or indeed any marker, will be found in any other files.

We must first judge the likely incidence of cases that can actually be identified, through the sampling exercise, and the scale of them.  Then we can judge the next steps that may be required.  

It is also worth noting that the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation is examining adoption practices in the cases of mothers and children who were resident in the specified institutions within its terms of reference.

Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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40. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of the 126 persons affected by the St. Patrick's Guild adoption scandal who have now been informed of the false registration; if her Department and Tusla have asked An Garda Síochána to bring criminal charges against those involved in the St. Patrick's Guild false registration of births between 1946 and 1969; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24860/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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On the 29th May 2018 I announced that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency had identified 126 cases where births were incorrectly registered between 1946 and 1969. The cases were identified during an analysis of adoption records that were transferred to Tusla by the former adoption society St Patrick’s Guild.

It was during the course of working with these records and in particular the scanning of them that the issue of incorrect birth registrations was identified, with clear evidence of this practice recorded on index cards created and maintained by St Patrick’s Guild. On foot of this discovery Tusla informed An Garda Síochána, the Mother and Baby Home Commission of Investigation and my Department.  I moved immediately to inform the Cabinet, and to announce that a process has been put in place by Tusla to deal with these cases, led by experienced information and tracing social workers.  

As the information that an incorrect birth registration has taken place is potentially life changing, the State has a responsibility to reach a high level of certainty that this has in fact happened, before it contacts the individuals concerned.  This threshold has now been reached in the case of the 126 St Patrick’s Guild files. 

This is a very serious and sensitive issue. People have the right to know of their true origins and, where we have clear evidence, I believe we have an obligation to tell the people affected.  Some may know already, but for others it will be entirely new and very difficult information to receive and absorb.

As an immediate step, Tusla put in place a Helpline, operating from 10 to 4 each day, Monday to Friday, and also put significant information on its website.  Both provide information in relation to what to expect if you are one of the people affected by the incorrect registrations that have been identified in the records of St Patrick’s Guild. 

There will be a social worker-led process of making contact with those affected that can be identified. This includes the person who was incorrectly registered (the child), the birth mother and the people who participated in the incorrect registrations and subsequently raised these children as their own.  Each of the 126 cases has been assigned to an experienced Tusla information and tracing social worker and work has already commenced on tracing the individuals concerned.

I would emphasise that the process will be measured, sensitive, and at the pace of the individual concerned.  There will be no sudden phone calls or unannounced visits to people’s doors.  The process of offering contact and supporting those affected will be handled very carefully and will take account of the requirements of the individuals. 

I am confident that Tusla is prioritising these cases and committing the necessary resources.  However, I would remind the Deputy that the only information available at the commencement of the process was in records that are in most cases over 50 years old, so the process of tracing people will take some time.  It is not expected that Tusla will be in a position to start making contact with individuals until at least the end of this month.

In relation to the Deputy's question about criminal charges, on foot of their initial assessment, Tusla contacted an Garda Síochána and gave them full details of the issues of concern.  The Gardaí requested, and were given, 10 sample files.  It is my understanding that they are currently reviewing these cases.