Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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235. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will provide an update on applications being processed through the information and tracing legislation. [6421/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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Information and Tracing services, as provided for under the Act, opened to applications on 3rd October 2022. As of 7th February, a total of 6,744 applications for information have been received by the Child and Family Agency, Tusla and the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI), in addition to 3,080 applications for tracing services and 3,031 preferences registered to the Contact Preference Register.

Processing the initial volume of information requests, reflecting decades of demand, is proving to be a challenge. However, as of 7th February, 1,740 cases have been completed with 1,545 applicants having received their information. In addition, the AAI 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, with contact having been facilitated between 60 pairs of relatives so far.