President signs Birth Information and Tracing Bill into law

President Michael D Higgins has signed the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022 into law. Picture: RollingNews.ie

A landmark bill to give adopted people access to birth certificates and other personal information has been signed by the President.

Having considered the Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022, President Michael D Higgins yesterday signed the legislation into law.

The legislation provides a full and clear right of access to birth certificates, as well as other birth and early-life information for all persons who were adopted, boarded out, or the subject of an illegal birth registration.

Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman: New laws form a significant part of redress.

It passed all stages of the Oireachtas last week, with Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman stating that it "finally and conclusively addresses the wrongful denial of people's identity rights over many decades in this State".

'Nothing held back'

"Crucially, the new law finally overcomes decades of legal obstacles to provide a clear right for each person to full access to all of his or her information — no redactions, nothing held back," said Mr O'Gorman, adding that the new laws form a significant part of the redress that the Irish State is making for its failure towards children and women over decades since the foundation of our State.

Under the law, a new Contact Preference Register, operated by Adoption Authority of Ireland, will open for applications this month. It will allow people to state whether or not they want to make contact with relatives, as well as the sharing and receiving of information.

Campaigners had voiced concern about this element of the legislation and the mandatory information session required in cases where a no-contact preference was registered.

A public information campaign will also be rolled out this month, which will include delivery of an information booklet to every household in the country, and will have a local, national, and international focus.

However, the Information and Tracing services will not open until October, in order to give people time to register their preferences.