Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

I have never seen such questions about parents. As I stated, however, I stand to be corrected.

I restate my commitment to legislate in this area. With two years remaining in the life of the Government, it is pessimistic to suggest that legislation could not be completed before the end of this term.

I have received e-mails from individuals who have been adopted. Deputy Burton is correct as I have also noticed that it is primarily females who wish to look behind the privacy issue. In the e-mails I have received from males, the correspondents are not interested in doing this as they wish to protect their relationship with their adopted parent or parents and believe it would somehow be a breach of trust to look into the issue further. They do not want to know their natural parent. We must respect that this group of people are silent because of the nature of what they wish to have protected.

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