Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

The information session we have provided for is in no way meant to be condescending towards adopted people. It is described as an information session; it is not described as a counselling session, as it is in other jurisdictions. The session is modelled upon the social worker-led approach adopted in other jurisdictions but the key reason the session is included is to provide for the balancing of constitutional rights, namely, the right to information that we are recognising for the first in this Bill and the right to privacy of the natural mother, which is recognised in law. We have done this in such a way that the right to access information will always win out. That is the big change we have achieved in this legislation but, for the legislation to reflect a balancing of rights, we have provided for the information session. I am happy to engage with adoptees on how to frame the session. We are not closed on that. The mechanism is one we have used to resolve an issue with constitutional balance that has bedevilled legislation in this area for 20 years. We have taken an important step with this draft legislation.

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