Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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394. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of the 78 information sessions carried out by the Adoption Authority under section 17 of the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 that relate to 'no contact' preferences, which were transferred from the national contact preference register. [22380/25]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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395. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of the 78 information sessions carried out by the Adoption Authority under section 17 of the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 that relate to 'no contact' preferences that were registered on the national contact preference register established under the Act. [22381/25]

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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396. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for a breakdown of registration of the 'no contact' preferences that relate to the 78 information sessions which have been carried out to date by the Adoption Authority, under section 17 of the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022, by year. [22382/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 394, 395 and 396 together.

The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 enshrines in law the right to identity information for all those who are adopted, nursed out, boarded out, subject to an illegal birth registration, or resided in a mother and baby or county home institution as a child.

The Contact Preference Register (CPR), established under the Act, enables adopted persons, parents or other genetic relatives to register their preference in relation to contact with each other. It allows parents to register a ‘no contact’ preference prior to their information being released as part of a person’s birth and early life information, by way of an information session. This ensures that the parent’s right to privacy and wish for privacy will be communicated to the applicant when releasing their information. The information session is an essential mechanism for achieving a necessary balancing of one person’s right to their identity and another’s right to privacy. It is important to be aware that access to this information is a statutory right and will always be released regardless of a ‘no contact’ preference being lodged on the CPR.

78 information sessions have been carried out to date.

16 of the 78 information sessions conducted by the Adoption Authority, under section 17 of the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022, between 01 July 2022 and 30 April 2025, related to ‘No Contact’ preferences registered on the National Adoption Contact Preference Register prior to its deletion under Section 42 (3) of the Act.

62 of the 78 information sessions conducted by the Adoption Authority, under section 17 of the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022, between 01 July 2022 and 30 April 2025, related to ‘No Contact’ preferences registered on the Contact Preference Register established under the Act.

A breakdown of registration of the ‘no contact’ preferences that relate to the 78 information sessions which have been carried out to date by the Adoption Authority, under section 17 of the Act, by year is provided below: