Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support the proposed amendment to the Order of Business that the Adoption (Identity and Information) Bill 2014, authored by Senator Averil Power and co-sponsored by Senator Jillian van Turnhout and I, be introduced today. Those of us who have access to our birth certificates are fortunate; it is a facility which is not yet available to adopted persons. We in this House have an opportunity to bring into law something which would make 50,000 people in this country very happy. We have taken care in the Bill to balance the right to privacy of the natural parents with the right to identity of adoptees. I look forward to the debate on the Bill.

My second point relates to the crisis in agriculture and in the beef sector, in particular. I am delighted to hear Senator David Norris add his voice to the many which have spoken in the House on the issue. Farmers' backs are to the wall; they are being walked on by the meat processors, and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, is allowing the situation to continue. The price issue is bad enough, but we are now in a situation where factories are refusing to take cattle aged over 30 months and weighing over 40 kg. The Minister could do a great deal to change these specifications. If there is no progress at the beef forum tomorrow, I intend to take the opportunity in this House to urge farmers to stand together and refrain from selling animals for one week. We would see then who was in control.