Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)

I am moving two of these amendments jointly with Deputy O'Sullivan, as well as the stand-alone amendment No.87. I strongly support this group of amendments. It is essential that the adoption authority established by this Bill promotes the development of post-adoption services and that this is understood in the widest context. This is omitted under the functions of the authority as set out in section 96. The authority should be tasked with promoting the development of services to assist people who were adopted to trace their birth parents. It should also promote the development of services for people who placed children for adoption and who wish to trace them. These are the key post-adoption services and it is important that the responsibility in respect of the adoption authority is explicit in the Bill.

This is not just about everybody's right to get an answer to the now popular question: "who do you think your are?" Yet that is also a very important part of why people feel strongly that they want to know the answer to such a question. I am sure it has crossed the minds of many people and not just those who have been placed for adoption. It also has other important features, such as the need that applies to me personally and to my family to know and to understand one's family medical history. It is a very important area that people need and have a right to know when making all sorts of arrangements that affect their lives. One's respective family medical history is a very important area to which every citizen should have an absolute entitlement. That facilitation needs to be provided as part of post-adoption services. It is not just about wanting to know who we may be, but also about having the critical information that can inform important decisions about ourselves and about future generations of the adopted person.

This issue is at the core of the demand made by many voices at this stage, not least the Adoption Rights Alliance and other non-governmental organisations. I again wish to support fully that demand.

See this speech in context