Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

474. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of engagements his Department has had with Tusla on the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022. [5812/22]

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

475. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of engagements his Department has had with the Adoption Authority of Ireland on the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022. [5813/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 474 and 475 together.

In June 2021, I established the Birth Information and Tracing Implementation Group. This group is led by my Department, and includes representatives from the Adoption Authority of Ireland and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. The group meets on a regular basis, having held 8 meetings to date, whilst also progressing key pieces of work and liaising bilaterally between meetings.

The Group's focus is on organisational and system readiness to support the provision of services under the proposed Birth Information and Tracing legislation. Included in the Group's work is the development of draft policy guidelines to support robust and consistent implementation of the legislation.

In addition to the Implementation Group, the Department also engages with both the Adoption Authority and Tusla through regular governance and oversight meetings, where matters relating to the Birth Information and Tracing Bill are often discussed.

Officials in my Department have strong working relationships with their counterparts in the Authority and Tusla. This is central to the positive commitment and collaboration which is essential to successful implementation of the legislation in the interests of all those with questions on their origins.

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

476. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of engagements his Department has had with church representatives on the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022. [5814/22]

Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

477. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of engagements his Department has had with groups representing and advocating on behalf of affected persons on the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022. [5815/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 476 and 477 together.

In advance of, and during the drafting process of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill, I have continued to engage with and listen to stakeholders who are affected by the provisions of the Bill. I am immensely grateful to all of those people who gave their time to relay their experiences, concerns and proposals.

In August 2020, February 2021, and March 2021 I met with adopted persons representative groups. This included representatives of both those who had experienced domestic adoption and those who had been adopted from Ireland to other jurisdictions. I greatly appreciated the unique insights provided from these interactions.

Following the publication of the General Scheme of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill in May 2021, I hosted a webinar to explain the intention of the legislation and to respond to questions. This was supplemented with a series of dedicated meetings with stakeholder groups to discuss the proposed legislation. In June 2021, I had a meeting with mothers, with key items of discussion covering terminology, their right of access and right to rectification under the GDPR, and the release of medical information.

Furthermore, I have also engaged in an intensive consultation process with individuals affected by illegal birth registration. The purpose of my consultation was to ensure that the legislative proposals for these persons adequately take account of the issues facing them.

These series of consultations were highly productive, with a range of themes emerging and informing the drafting process of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill.

In addition to my engagement as set out above, I have engaged with hundreds of individuals on the topic of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill through individual pieces of correspondence. I have also ensured that key updates on the Bill have been communicated to the hundreds of individuals registered with my Department to receive updates in this area. These individuals regularly correspond with my Department via email, and the number of participants registered on the mailing list continues to grow.

My Department has consulted with the Data Protection Commission, the Ombudsman for Children and has regular, intensive engagement with the Adoption Authority of Ireland and Tusla Adoption Services, both through the Birth Information and Tracing Implementation Group and more generally.

The Deputy has also asked about my engagement with church representatives and I can confirm that I held a positive meeting with representatives of the Catholic Church in Ireland specifically in relation to the provisions of the Bill. I am currently engaged in meetings with the relevant religious congregations in relation to the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme. As previously indicated when the Scheme was announced, I am seeking a contribution from congregations towards the cost of this Scheme.