Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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483. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if there will be a centralised facility for adoptees to view their files at locations where all files from adoption agencies would be available. [29023/18]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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Under the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016, the Adoption Authority will have overall responsibility for the safeguarding of relevant records, which includes adoption records and records relating to persons whose birth was illegally registered or who were the subject of an informal care arrangement. The Bill makes provision for the transfer of all relevant records, which are currently held in a number of locations, to the custody of the Authority. It also creates offences in relation to the concealment, destruction, mutilation and falsification of these records. It is the intention that the records will be centralised.

The Bill sets out a statutory basis for an information and tracing service. It also provides, in section 12, that persons can apply for access to the relevant records held by the Authority.

It is my intention to work with members of the Dáil and Seanad to proceed as quickly as possible with the enactment of this important legislation.