The Birth (Info & Tracing) Bill has been published: https://t.co/Umu9ns7dfJ
At a quick glance:
🚨This Bill DOES NOT provide unrestricted access to birth certs/info.
🚨 This Bill is offensive to adopted people. We do not need to have the concept of privacy explained to us. 👇 pic.twitter.com/TLX5X6YrYl
— Claire McGettrick (born Lorraine Hughes) (@cmcgettrick) January 12, 2022
This afternoon.
Earlier…
BREAKING: the term “Birth mother” will no longer be referenced in the new birth & tracing bill. “Birth Mother” is now “Mother” in the legislation. #tuambabies #MotherAndBabyHomes pic.twitter.com/qPPtCuvrEJ
— Alison O’Reilly (@AlisonMaryORE) January 12, 2022
This morning.
Government Buildings.
Earlier…
This morning.
The Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022 has been published
Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth Roderic O’Gorman (top) has written to Mother and Baby Home survivors, former residents, their families and advocates, saying:
The Bill seeks to enshrine in law the importance of a person knowing his or her origins. It aims to remove the long-standing obstacles faced by adopted people and others in gaining access to their own birth and early life information.
For the first time, the Bill will guarantee the full and un-redacted release of all such information to persons who have attained the age of 16 years.
The main features of the Bill provide for:
· The release of full birth certificates, birth information, early life information, care information and medical information for all persons who were adopted, boarded out, the subject of an illegal birth registration or who otherwise have questions in relation to their origins;
· A statutory tracing service for persons wishing to make contact, share or seek information;
· A Contact Preference Register, established in law, through which people can register their preference in relation to contact with a child, or genetic relative, as well as lodge personal communications or updated medical information; and
· The safeguarding of relevant records.
Minister O’Gorman added:
The Bill also amends the Civil Registration Act 2004 to address key issues arising for people affected by illegal birth registration by:
· Providing the relevant individual with an entitlement to live under whichever identity they prefer (i.e. their birth identity or the lifelong identity by which they have lived) and to have their social parents recognised in law through the mechanism of a parallel register; and
· Providing a robust legal basis for the transfer of information to the GRO, thereby vindicating the right of relevant individuals to an accurate birth registration.
It is intended that the Bill will also contain further measures to address issues arising for people affected by illegal birth registration, particularly succession issues.
Now that the Bill is published, the first stage (introduction to the Dáil) is complete and I intend to commence Second Stage in the Dáil next week.
The Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022 here.
Thanks Breeda
Susan Lohan of Adoption Rights Alliance also highlighting lack of clarity
and inconsistencies in the Bill on Morning Ireland this a.m.
https://www.rte.ie/radio1/clips/22049718
Isn’t Roderic a qualified legal eagle?
Fair play to Claire McGettrick, she has been on this issue a very long time and was a great help in the early days when adopted people and their mothers were trying to trace and connect with absolutely no help from the “authorities”. It felt so subversive at the time, and it was!