David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Yes, I was trying to think of that phrase but I could not quite find it.

I agree wholeheartedly with my distinguished colleague, Senator Bacik, that there is a distinct difference between information on the one hand and contact on the other. They are two separate issues. A little later, I will put something on the record from one of the adoptees who makes this point very clearly. Yesterday, a woman on the wireless spoke about how she had been trying for a number of years, perhaps four or five years, to get information but was refused. Subsequently, she discovered her mother had been trying to contact her for seven years. The agency was acting as a block between these two people, both of whom wanted to meet. That is profoundly disgraceful.

The inclusion of Tusla is not a good idea. It is a pretty discredited operation by now, I am sorry to have to say. I do not believe it has the competence, capacity or skills to take on this massive undertaking. When we have these enormous overruns and the consequent impact on the funding of other services I do not believe for one second that the Minister will get sufficient money to arm Tusla for this situation. I have considerable reservations about involving Tusla.

I mentioned I had contact from a woman who is an adoptee. She told me none of the research supports the hypothesis that adoptees will turn up on birth families' doorsteps and pose a risk. She states that from her experience she has yet to meet an adoptee who would run the risk of jeopardising any potential relationship with his or her birth family by being anything less than respectful in his or her approach or dealings. I believe this is the case. If people want to be in touch with their birth parents, the last thing they will do is alienate them by popping up at the doorstep. Nobody likes unexpected and unsolicited calls, whether it is people canvassing at election time or whatever else.I echo what Senator Bacik said about other European governments. I was contacted by Dr. Maeve O'Rourke, a lecturer in human rights law at the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI, Galway. She argues that the Government's proposals are completely out of step with Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, not to mention numerous other European jurisdictions where adopted people receive their full information in adulthood. Our three nearest neighbours, namely, England, Scotland and Wales, have a completely different regime and are much freer in this regard. Dr. O'Rourke accepts that privacy is not an absolute right but that it should be respected. I wonder to what extent it is respected by involving Tusla in this? Here we have an agency that will not be fuelled by the same motivation as the adoptee getting involved. The more people who are concerned and involved, the greater the risk.

This Bill has been on the back boiler for two years but I understand that the Minister has yet to meet the Adoption Rights Alliance. I note that the Minister is shaking her head so perhaps my information is wrong. If it is true-----