Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 28 September 2021

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth

General Scheme of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2021: Discussion (Resumed)

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

I thank the Chair. I thank all members for their detailed questions. We are all working together to try and achieve the best legislation possible but also legislation we can pass as quickly as possible in order that people can more easily benefit from the process.

I have addressed all of the issues but I would like to talk about the issue of illegal birth registration. As we know, the "Who Am I?" edition of "RTÉ Investigates" outlined the unique and awful difficulties this particular category of 141 individuals, as currently identified, are facing. We have engaged with them specifically. As I said, I have met a group of them. I have met individuals as well. They have given their feedback, in particular on section 7 of the Bill because it is particularly relevant to them. The majority - although I cannot say all - of the feedback from them has been positive. They see it as a way to address their situation, as well as of giving them the choice to have their identity registered as the person they would have been but for the illegal birth registration that took place. They can, therefore, choose to live their lives as the person they would have been. There is also the choice that I think the majority will make, which is that legal protection can be given to their identity that they have lived their entire life. There will not be a need in any contracts or in any declarations that they have made to change their identity documents, or anything like that. It is, therefore, a bespoke solution to a difficult and traumatic problem that has been landed on these people, following the revelation that they are subject to an illegal birth registration. While this applies to a small group of people, it is an important part of this legislation. It is in response to this issue. We set up an interdepartmental group in January to look at this when I announced the publication of the independent review. We have worked quickly to try to provide these solutions. The issue for these people is that they were told who they are not. However, they are not able to establish who they are. I hope that we will be able to resolve this issue for them this legislation is passed. We will be able to deal the wider issues of access to birth certificates, birth information, and early life information for all adopted people and for all people who were boarded out when this legislation is passed.

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