Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 9 March 2022

Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs

Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Committee Stage (Resumed)

Photo of Kathleen FunchionKathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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I move amendment No. 147:

In page 20, after line 37, to insert the following: "Data controllers to provide personal data on application by relevant person aged 16 years or over

11.(1) A relevant person who has attained the age of 16 years may apply to a data controller for the provision by the data controller to him or her of all of the relevant person’s personal data that is held by the controller.

(2) All personal data will be processed in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018.".

This amendment seeks to ensure the Bill is robust and provides for cases in which no birth information is available. In such a case, this new insertion in the Bill would seek that the authority would seize all records relating to the relevant person's adoption or an illegal birth registration and open an investigation. It is crucial that adoptees know what transpired and that the authority should make every attempt to keep those persons informed.