Lynn Ruane (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I just have one question. I thank the witnesses for their presentation. Many of the principles as laid out would raise constitutional issues in Ireland. Principle No. 11, for example, refers to the protection of identity and access to origins. This is particularly relevant in Ireland in the current climate in the context of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill, for example. It is an issue that is very much on people's minds right now, particularly in the context of the rights of the child. The Verona Principles were only established last year and there is no concrete evidence yet of people taking them on but I am struck by how many natural rights are included. Some countries would already be enforcing some of these principles just in terms of the law of the land. When this work was done, was each country looked at individually in terms of how its current model contravenes the principles? I ask that in the context of Ireland's current parental order model. I ask the witnesses to comment on how Ireland's current parental order model contravenes many of the principles and how we can best reform our current model in order to meet the principles as laid out.