Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)

I thank the Minister for her reply. As she outlined, this is a hugely important issue for thousands of people, many of whom, as has been acknowledged, were falsely registered or not registered. Meanwhile, records are dotted all over the State which many people cannot access. What steps can the Minister take to safeguard those records? That is the essential question. The Minister herself has admitted that the State has failed these people, but we must see what we can do about it now. For example, I am aware of a record that exists within a 5 km radius of this House which would give indispensable proof to a person who is trying to identify her mother and therefore establish with certainty her own identity. She cannot get those records, however, because they are privately owned and she is fearful for their safety.

There is an onus on the Government to come up with proposals to deal with this situation, if not on a voluntary basis then to seize these records where they exist. This should be done because it was the State which let these people down originally.

See this speech in context