Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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146. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will consider changing the layout of adoption certificates in order that they are more similar to birth certificates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29128/16]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Adoption Act 2010 provides for two versions of certificates of entries to be issued by the General Register Office.

Section 87 provides for a copy of the entry and contains details that it is taken from the Adopted Children Register.

Section 89 of the Act provides for an abridged certificate of entry the format of which is set out by regulations made by the Minister for Social Protection in consultation with the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs.

The Adoption Act 2010 (Abridged Certificate) Regulations 2011 were made by the Minister for Social Protection in 2011. The format and content of the certificate to be issued in accordance with these regulations are set out in the schedule to the Regulations. The schedule requires that the certificate be headed “Birth Certificate” and that nothing contained in the certificate discloses that the person to whom the certificate refers has been adopted. The abridged certificate is designed to be as indistinguishable as possible from a birth certificate.

Prior to the enactment of the Adoption Act 2010, adopted persons and their families had long felt that they were being discriminated against under the old legislation, as there was no provision for the issue of such a certificate.

Both versions of the certificates are available on application to the General Register Office.