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

I thank the Deputies. There has been a rightful focus on the question of illegal birth registration through "RTÉ Investigates" programmes and the published report of the independent investigator. Following on from that, the Government and I took action, recognising that the independent reviewer's report, comprehensive though it was, perhaps did not set out clear next steps. We asked Professor Conor O'Mahony to bring forward his report and he has set out clear next steps. He recognises the importance of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022, on which so much work has been done in recent weeks, in answering many of the issues and resolving many of the barriers mentioned by Deputy Tully. I acknowledge they still exist with respect to access to information but the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022 will address them. It has been designed specifically so those subject to illegal birth registrations and particularly those who suspect they are the subject of illegal birth registrations may use the processes set out in that Bill.

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