Proposed legislation "at odds with wishes of Mayo adoptees and mothers"

A Mayo TD believes the government's proposed birth information and tracing legislation is totally at odds with the express wishes of adoptees and mothers in the county.

Deputy Conway-Walsh explained: “This legislation should mark an historic moment for adoptees in the long and exhausting journey to gain full and unfettered access to their records and birth information.

"Sadly again they have been met with another government bill that will not deliver.

“I am particularly disappointed around the requirement for mandatory information sessions that should have been removed.

"Instead it appears the only thing that has changed is the mechanism by which this ‘meeting’ takes place. No other Irish citizen making a similar application would be obliged to go through this process.

“I am extremely concerned red line issues for adoptees, which the minister and government are very aware off, such as unrestricted access to birth certificates and information, have not been provided for.

“I cannot comprehend how key recommendations from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children’s report have not factored at all in the redrafting of this legislation.

“The extensive work undertaken by the committee, the hours and hours of testimony from adoptees, mothers, survivors and their advocates, the significant and all-encompassing report appears to have been ignored.

“It is clear from what has been announced that this fight is just beginning.

"I take this opportunity to assure adoptees, mothers and their advocates living in Mayo that I will work to ensure this legislation upholds their human rights.

“Finally, I’d like to commend all adoptees, mothers, survivors, their families and advocates in Mayo for their relentless pursuit of justice.

"It is a little over 20 years since the first piece of legislation was introduced to allow access to one’s adoptive and birth information files.

"It is timely that we remember the government at the time started this journey seeking to criminalise adoptees for seeking their information."