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

The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 provides guaranteed access to birth and early life information where it exists, thereby addressing a decades-long historic injustice. The legislation provides a full and clear right of access to birth certificates, birth, early life, care, and medical information for all persons who were adopted, boarded out, the subject of an illegal birth registration, or who otherwise have questions in relation to their origins.

In this context, and the context of the historical denial of access to rights, there has been an initial surge of demand for services under the Act and everyone across all organisations involved is committed to responding to this demand as quickly as possible. As of Monday of this week, just over 7,500 applications for information have been received by either Tusla or the Adoption Authority of Ireland, AAI. These applications are in addition to the 3,500 applications made for tracing services since 3 October, and the more than 3,100 new preferences registered to the new statutory contact preference register.

To date, both Tusla and AAI have processed and completed almost 3,000 requests for information, and more are due for completion and issuing each day. In addition to information and tracing services, applications are continuing to be made to the contact preference register, and the Adoption Authority of Ireland has already successfully identified 215 matches for relatives for whom they are seeking to facilitate contact. Both agencies advise that they have reassigned additional staff members to work exclusively on the processing of applications and that they will continue to keep every person who is waiting for information informed about their particular application.

Officials from my Department continue to support and engage with both the AAI and Tusla in respect of the ongoing implementation of services under the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022. This is done via regular governance and oversight meetings with both bodies where fulfilment of birth information and tracing obligations forms a standing agenda item. This engagement also supports positive changes to the benefit of the persons affected by this legislation. This is most evident in the tracing for verification amendment I brought forward in the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022, which was directly prompted and informed by stakeholder experience.

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