Seanad debates

Monday, 30 March 2015

Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages

 

2:30 pm

Photo of Rónán MullenRónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 55:



In page 35, line 20, to delete "18 years" and substitute "16 years".
The purpose of the amendment is to provide that a young person who has reached 16 years may make arrangements to find out about who he or she is, as opposed to being required to wait until reaching 18 years before acquiring the right to seek such information. Section 34(1) reads: "A donor-conceived child who has attained the age of 18 years, or the parent of a donor-conceived child who has not attained the age of 18 years, may request the Minister to provide him or her with the following information from the Register". I am proposing to reduce the specified age to 16 years, which is an age at which parents expect children to show considerable cop-on, know-how and capacity to deal with issues and they are already engaging with some of the significant realities of life at school and in social settings. It would be better if young people had the right to seek the necessary information from the register, either on reaching the age of 16 years or before that age where their parents see fit.

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