Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 2 March 2022

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs

Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage

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

Amendments Nos. 6 and 349 seek to add a new section to the Bill, which would establish a permanent adoption advisory group to inform the operation of the Act. Consultation with stakeholders and people who benefit from this legislation have been to the forefront of the development of the legislation. During pre-legislative scrutiny, members engaged with a large number of groups. I have also engaged with a large number of groups and individuals. I continue to engage with survivor groups, adopted people and their families. Deputy Funchion and I had a useful meeting last week with a former resident. That was important and developed my understanding of what is needed in this area.

In the pre-legislative scrutiny report, a recommendation was made for a role for stakeholders in the implementation of the legislation. We considered that recommendation and, on foot of that, I will put in place a stakeholder representative group. The work of the group will be aimed at supporting the preparation for the implementation of the legislation when it is enacted. That work will have regard to the public information campaign we have spoken about and general awareness-raising of changes being brought about by this legislation. The proposals for the group's role, composition and relationship are being developed by my Department.

That is not the only work we are doing in the area. Action 1 of the 22-point action plan in response to the commission's report referred to developing a new and enhanced model of engagement and we are looking at the proposal to bring forward a special advocate for survivors and former residents of mother and baby and county home institutions. This could look at providing a well-resourced and dynamic model of representation for former residents to make sure there is a strong advocacy voice for them on a range of issues beyond the implementation of this legislation. We know from our engagement with survivors that their priorities are multifaceted. For some this legislation is key, while for others it is about memorialisation or the recovery of remains, which we have already discussed. For others again it is issues around redress or education and how the history of this period is reflected. That special advocate model could support systematic advocacy on behalf of former residents. The longer term, resourced advocacy model addressing survivors in the myriad of ways they require and the stakeholder group we are establishing for the implementation of this legislation constitute the preferable way to go.

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