Anne Ferris (Wicklow, Labour) | Oireachtas source

Yes, I do. That is why I suggested that the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs should also be brought into this conversation when the stakeholders meet. I was working on the adoption information and tracing Bill rather than on this Bill but it applies to this one as well. All possible information about the birth mother or birth parents and the child who was adopted should be on the register. In a case where a child, on reaching a certain age, or a birth mother would contact the register of adoptions seeking information to see if there is corresponding information there, and the information from both sides would be on the register for health and various other reasons, if the birth mother did not want to be contacted by her child at any stage, she could put a no-contact veto provision on the register. Her information, details about herself, her medical history and other information she might want to provide would be on the register, but instead of that person being contacted and advised by the Adoption Authority that their child wants to contact them, and a certain time being allowed for that person to respond, that person, either the adult child or the birth parent, could put on the register that they do not wish to be contacted. I know people have fears about harassment and all of that but we already have legislation in place that covers that. I made quite a long submission to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs on this issue on behalf of the Labour Party, so it is on the record. I would ask the Minister and her officials to contact the office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to get this information.

An aspect in this respect that might create a difficulty arises under section 33(3).