Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I am in Leinster House. I thank everybody for coming before the committee. I have two questions and I would like brief responses to both. The first one is for Ms Ryan-O'Brien of Aitheantas and the representatives of the Adoption Rights Alliance and The Clann Project. All their statements highlight how this proposed Bill does not meet the threshold of unconditional access to birth certificates and birth information for everyone. We have time constraints, so therefore I ask the witnesses to elaborate briefly on the importance of this proposed Bill meeting this principle. I refer in particular to Head 40 of this general scheme of the Bill which states that the general data protection regulation, GDPR, will be disapplied. What are the implications of that? I would like the witnesses to explain that to the committee.

My second question is addressed to the representatives from Barnardos and The Clann Project. Will they explain the importance of having a clear statutory right of access to view one’s own, or one's parent's, I am not sure how to phrase this, care or adoption files and to records concerning a family member who died in care or adoption? I am addressing this question to the representatives of Barnardos and The Clann Project, but because Ms Hennessy spoke about working with the approximately 1,200 birth mothers, will she elaborate on the implications that may exist for some of those people in respect of not having such access? Turning to Ms McGettrick and Dr. O'Rourke, I would like them to comment on a clear statutory right of access to records in respect of mothers, of course, and also siblings etc..