Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

First, it is important to give context to this. The Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, has led much very important work in respect of illegal birth registrations and, in the context of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill and the amendments thereto which take on quite a number of the recommendations from the child rapporteur in respect of illegal birth registrations, the Government believed it was appropriate that an apology would be made on behalf of the Government by the Minister. That said, I have heard what survivor groups and victim groups have said and, of course, I am more than willing to do this and will engage now with the Minister and with other groups in terms of timing and how that would be done best. What happened here in terms of the illegal registration of births, depriving people of their basic right to identity and consequential access to all information pertaining to their births, was shocking. The Birth Information and Tracing Bill, in my view, will address that. The issue of proper access to birth rights has gone on for decades and I welcome that this legislation will give an unprecedented level of comprehensive access that was long overdue.

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