Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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1154. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to provide extra funding for Tusla (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25340/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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On the 29th May 2018 I announced that Tusla, the Child and Family Agency had identified 126 cases where births were incorrectly registered between 1946 and 1969. The cases were identified during an analysis of adoption records that were transferred to Tusla by the former adoption society St Patrick’s Guild.

It was during the course of working with these records and in particular the scanning of them that the issue of incorrect birth registrations was identified, with clear evidence of this practice recorded on index cards created and maintained by St Patrick’s Guild. On foot of this discovery Tusla informed An Garda Síochána, the Mother and Baby Home Commission of Investigation and my Department. I moved immediately to inform the Cabinet, and to announce that a process has been put in place by Tusla to deal with these cases, led by experienced information and tracing social workers.

As an immediate step, Tusla put in place a Helpline, operating from 10 to 4 each day, Monday to Friday, and also put significant information on its website. Both provide information in relation to what to expect if you are one of the people affected by the incorrect registrations that have been identified in the records of St Patrick’s Guild.

A social worker-led process of making contact with those affected that can be identified has commenced. This includes the person who was incorrectly registered (the child), the birth mother and the people who participated in the incorrect registrations and subsequently raised these children as their own.

Each of the 126 cases has been assigned an experienced information and tracing social worker and the cases have been prioritised.

I acknowledge that responding to these 126 cases will put Tusla's information and tracing services under pressure and as the Deputy is aware, there is already considerable demand for this service.

The appropriate mechanism to address resource issues is through the normal annual budgetary process. I would expect any additional resource requirements arising for Tusla in this, or in any other, service to be addressed in that context.

I would emphasise that the process will be measured, sensitive, and at the pace of the individual concerned. There will be no sudden phone calls or unannounced visits to people’s doors. The process of offering contact and supporting those affected will be handled very carefully and will take account of the requirements of the individuals.