Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

71. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the steps he is taking in response the delays experienced by individuals seeking personal information under the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022. [6118/23]

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

The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022provides guaranteed access to birth and early life information where it exists, thereby addressing a decades-long historic injustice. In this context, there is an initial surge of demand for services under the Act and everyone is committed to responding to this demand as quickly as possible.

To date, a total of 6,744 applications for information have been received. A total of 1,740 information requests have been completed since applications opened.

In addition, the Adoption Authority of Ireland have successfully identified 210 matches on the Contact Preference Register for people seeking to contact relatives and are working with the matched people to facilitate contact. 53 people have had provided items – letters or photographs left for them – returned to them.

I am aware of the frustration caused to applicants receiving a notification indicating that there will be a delay in the compilation and release of their information. However, I am confident that both the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI), and the Child and Family Agency, Tusla, are doing their utmost to respond to all of the applications received within the shortest possible period.

Tusla and the AAI are actively engaging with those affected by delays. AAI expects to clear the backlog of applications received by it by Autumn 2023, if not earlier, and Tusla by July 2023. However, it is important to note that many applicants will receive their information much sooner than this, as more and more applicants receive their information every week.

An additional €1.05m was provided to the AAI and additional funding of €3m was provided to Tusla Adoption Services in 2022. These extra resources were to fund additional posts, including genealogical and archival expertise, as well as run a public information campaign on the legislation.

Utilising these additional resources, both organisations undertook extensive recruitment campaigns and trained additional staff in advance of the opening of information and tracing services. Furthermore, both agencies are re-assigning further additional staff members to work exclusively on processing information requests.