Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Cairns asked about next of kin. I am happy to come back on that because it is an important point. I thank Deputy Cathal Crowe. Fathers will be able to use the contact preference register and the statutory tracing service to indicate if they want to provide information, receive information, or if they want contact. There is a provision for them to use the system.

I was able to provide significant additional resources to Tusla in last year's budget to support all its services, including the work it does with foster parents and providing for adoptions. I am conscious that the skills that social workers have are not the only skills that are needed regarding information and tracing. A number of groups, including the Adoption Rights Alliance, made that point. We will look to bring a wider range of skills into Tusla. I discussed it with the chief executive last week. I had a similar conversation with the chief executive of the Adoption Authority of Ireland. Additional resources will be provided. There will be some additional social workers but not just social workers. This will not be a scheme led by social workers only. It will not impact on the wider services that Tusla provides.

There may be two elements related to the maiden name. Illegal birth registration is a discrete issue, which this Bill also addresses. It is where an incorrect name was placed on someone's birth certificate. In that situation, we are making provision for a mechanism where people's birth certificates can be corrected but the names they have used throughout their life, their lived identity, will get full legal recognition. There will be no threat to any documents they have signed, contracts they have entered into or declarations that they have made. This legislation provides access to birth certificates for adopted people, which is the core document that would have a mother's maiden name on it. It would not require rectification, just access.