Ms Maree Ryan-O'Brien:

As regards the HSE or the local authorities, it is important that there be awareness around this particular issue. One of the first steps we took as a group was that we liaised with local county councils through our supporting motions. We secured unanimous support of 20 county councils for supporting motions for open access for adoptees for their own information. In so doing, we created awareness in local authorities around this area. I feel that there would be a lot of support and willingness on behalf of some of these local authorities to educate and support people who are looking for information. The most practical way forward would be what we recommended, namely, an agency to centralise all of these issues. We touched on that with regard to the information units within the Minister’s Department. We felt that it made far more sense to house all of that information in one agency, rather than having it on a piecemeal basis in different Departments. There should be the same standard of access for all people who wants to access information, whether they are an adoptee or a families. Everyone should have the same standard of access, as opposed to there being a differentiation in that regard. Overall, the best way to achieve that, so as to support survivors, adoptees and birth parents, is to have a centralisation of all of these issues within one agency. Then, from that, we should have specific outreaches, in order that people could liaise with the agency on somebody's behalf if there are mobility issues, access issues, or literacy issues. We have also asked that people who have literacy issues, which the Deputy touched on, might be permitted to make video submissions or video requests, as opposed to having to write them.

That is something we could look at in a more humanist approach to an improved social work model within a new agency. It has proved to be very onerous and it causes a lot of stress, certainly for elderly survivors who are trying to access information. It was something they were not able to do and they then had to ask somebody to help them, which they were quite distressed about because they had to tell somebody about the background or tell their story. We need to look at it on a practical level and also be very aware of the demographic, the age and the profile of people who are looking for information and to build on that.

I feel there is a willingness in the Minister's Department to listen to all of these points. We will certainly be bringing it up repeatedly until we get some positive response.