Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

Absolutely. It is a fair point, which I will have to examine. The Adoption Board is anxious to continue carrying out publicity campaigns to notify people of the availability of the register and the traceability options that are available but, as Senator Fitzgerald said, many of the 6,270 who have contacted the board are Irish people and domestic adoptions were involved. Very often adoption societies had kept records in the basements of buildings, which were gathering dust. I met representatives of the natural parents organisation who are anxious that something be done to preserve and collate the data, as people are anxious to obtain this information.

With regard to the amendment, an tArd Chláiritheoir is not responsible for the register of foreign adoptions. The Adoption Board relies on the information and documentation made available to it by the foreign jurisdiction. All information provided is held on file. The register of birth of the child is in the other jurisdiction and access or otherwise depends on the law in the other jurisdiction. The Adoption Board, in light of the work on the existing contract register, has indicated its intention to undertake further work anticipating the likely desire of inter-country adoptees to trace their origins in the future.