Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am honoured to be able to speak in support of this Bill that is being introduced by my colleague, Deputy Funchion. I commend the work done by the survivor groups, the adoptee groups and Deputy Funchion in bringing it before the Dáil.

The purpose of this Bill is simple and straightforward, namely, to give every adopted person the right to access his or her birth certificate. The vast majority of Deputies who will be voting on this Bill and on whether to give adoptees access to this most basic of human rights will undoubtedly have always had access to their own birth certificate and many will have taken that for granted throughout their lives. It is so often the case that only when we see the suffering and lack of equality for others that we realise how fortunate many of us have been and we can then start to address where the State has failed so many people.

Access to the most basic of personal information about who you are should be a fundamental right that cannot be denied. For far too long, the survivors of mother and baby homes have been denied this basic personal information. Survivors feel that time and again they have been lied to, tricked and made to feel like criminals for seeking out their most basic personal information. Enough is enough. It is time that the State stands with those who have endured so much and give them the respect they deserve. This Bill is a small but important step on the journey to give survivors that respect and the support they deserve. It is time to listen to survivors and start righting these wrongs. Let us not bury this legislation in the process. I urge all Deputies to support the Bill.

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