Ms Christine Hennessy:

I thank the Senator for his interest. There was an organisation called The Natural Parents Network of Ireland, but I do not think it exists anymore. It is a pity that there is not a representative organisation for natural birth mothers speaking today. All I can do is to try to represent some of the voices of women who have attended the groups over the years. It will not be a surprise to any of the guests to hear what I have to say.

The experiences of birth mothers are on the spectrum. We work with women who were raped at 15 years old and who were forced to part from their babies. We also work with women who chose to place their babies for adoption in their late 20s because it was a decision that they felt then and that they feel now was the right decision for their lives. We work with women who go on to marry the father of their children and the growing child becomes like an elephant in the room. The subject is never discussed, and often the existence of that eldest son or daughter is not disclosed to the younger sisters and brothers growing up.

The women who come to us in Barnardos often need support in talking to their families about the existence of their sons or daughters. We meet many women who have never told anybody. One lady who came to me for years used to ring her daughter in Northern Ireland. That lady has passed away now. I was the only person who ever knew she had a daughter growing up in Northern Ireland. She used to come into my office every couple of months and make a phone call to her daughter. That lady was terrified that her husband and her other children would find out about the existence of her other daughter. We meet many other women who are welcoming this legislation with open arms, really looking forward to adopted adults in Ireland having the right to their original birth certificates and who are very clear that it is the right thing to do. However, the outcomes here are complex for all.