Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator. I do not propose to support this amendment as I feel it is unnecessary. The definition of relevant information and documents in the Bill is open-ended and it facilitates the consideration of various types of documents that may support the identification of a deceased person, including records relating to a person who resided in the institution concerned. No record relating to such a person is excluded from the current definition.

In response to amendments proposed in the Dáil, the list of examples given in the definition was expanded to include explicit references to baptismal certificates, institutional admissions, the discharge records, as well as information obtained in post-recovery analysis. However, the definition remains open-ended so as not to unintentionally exclude documents which the director may need in undertaking his or her function. In this context, I highlight that section 27 provides for a director to compel and enforce a source to provide such information and documents as required for the purpose of assisting him or her in performing his or her functions under the Act. The definition of "information source" includes public bodies which have or had a role in relation to the institution concerned and religious organisations or bodies. This section also empowers.a Minister to designate a person as an information source if the Minister considers that he or she may have documents.