New legislation to give adopted people access to their birth information will be published next month after Cabinet approved the Birth Information and Tracing Bill on Tuesday.
As reported in The Irish Times, the tracing legislation was promised by Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman after the publication of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation report earlier this year.
The proposed new legislation will, for the first time, give adopted people the right to their birth certificates. They will also be able to access the name of their birth mother, as well as documentation from their early lives.
In November, mother and baby home survivors called for a referendum to give constitutional assurance that parents and children separated at birth can properly access birth information from the State.
Survivors of mother-and-baby institutions received communication from Mr O’Gorman last week to inform them that the legislation would be published in the middle of January.
According to sources, a provisional date for publication has been set for the second week in January.
Other than technical amendments which need to be made, it is understood that the legislation is largely drafted. Once all amendments are made the proposed law will be introduced into the Oireachtas.
