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

Part 5 provides for Tusla and the authority to deliver a tracing services. Tracing will be carried out to locate individuals for the purposes of contact or the sharing of information. The tracing service is available to persons over the age of 18 years. An application for a tracing service can be made by a relevant person and by categories of relatives set out in sections 32(6) and (7). An adoptive parent of an adopted child can also seek a trace where the adoptive parent is seeking to locate a person for the purposes of requesting further information regarding the person or providing information relevant to the person.

I cannot support this amendment as I am confident Part 5 on tracing provides fully for the policy intention that a relevant person can trace a relative to facilitate contact or to request information and that a relative can trace a relative person for contact or to request or share information regarding the relevant person.

I understand that with this amendment the Senator is seeking to expand the legal base for a trace by a relative to allow a trace to also be facilitated where a relative believes the relevant person has information on them. Section 32(2)(b)(ii) allows a relative to trace to request further information regarding the relevant person or provide information relevant to the relevant person.

Having consulted with the bodies which currently provide a tracing service, I am satisfied the Bill, as drafted, is fit for purpose and provides clearly and specifically for the reasons a person can trace. Furthermore, we must be mindful that tracing is a resource-intensive task and any expansion of the function of the service may have unintended consequences for the effective operation of the service. However, I hope I can offer the Senator some reassurance. The Bill will not prevent the sharing of records, as is aim of her amendment. I understand once people are facilitated to make contact and build a relationship they very often share records, mementos etc. with each other following the development of that relationship.