Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We use the terms "incorrect or illegal registrations" rather than "illegal adoptions" because technically these were not adoptions at all, but perhaps that is splitting hairs and not the most relevant point at this stage.

Deputy McDonald is correct that this is not something new. We have known that this practice existed in the past. We suspect that it was quite commonplace. Journalists, such as Conall Ó Fátharta in the Irish Examiner, have written about it for years. Civil society advocates, such as the Adoption Rights Alliance, have raised this issue with all parties in the House and at all-party committees for years, as the Deputy correctly said. Many of us will have been affected by the film, "Philomena", telling the story of Philomena Lee and, of course, her son, Michael Hess, whose grave she visited but who she never got to meet.

What is different now is that as a result of the transfer of records from St. Patrick's Guild to Tusla, we have clear documentary evidence because of this marker, "Adopted at birth". There is clear evidence in those records of over 100 people who were adopted in this way. That evidence exists and it is important that we deal with it.

Some people have suggested that after exiting a dark tunnel last Saturday, we have entered a new one with this latest story about incorrect registrations. I do not believe that is correct. I believe we are different country now. The past is a foreign country but we must acknowledge it and deal with those issues from the past. Even though it may be 50, 60 or 70 years ago, we still have responsibility to our fellow citizens to read that dark chapter.

What was done was wrong. What was done robbed children, our fellow citizens, of their identity. It was an historic wrong that we must face up to. On behalf of the Government, I am very sorry for it. We will never be reconciled with our past until we are truthful about it. Throughout her career, the Minister, Deputy Zappone, has been steadfast in her determination to force this country to acknowledge the truth about its history and I believe she has done us some real service here.

Our priority now, of course, is to inform those people affected. Social workers experienced in this area will be contacting the birth mothers where they are alive, the parents who brought our fellow citizens up who were involved in these illegal registrations and party to them will be contacted as well and given the opportunity to talk to the children they brought up, and the individuals who were illegally registered will, of course, be contacted as well. This will be done in a sensitive and private way. Nobody will get a knock on the door and suddenly have this information disclosed to their family. It will be done applying all of the best social work practice available.

What will now happen, on the Minister's initiative, is a targeted sampling analysis of the records from the other adoption societies to see whether there is a similar marker or evidence of these illegal registrations. If there is, it will be a requirement to go through over 100,000 records. This is potentially a mammoth task, but it will now be done.

What people want is not retribution. What they want is information about their identities. They have a right to know who they are. They have a right to know their birth story. They have a right to that information and we must give it to them.

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