Roderic O'Gorman

The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 provides a right of access to birth certificates, birth and early life 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.

The first parts of the Act were commenced in July with the establishment of the contact preference register and the accompanying launch of a public information campaign.

The Act provides that the contact preference register must be open for a minimum of three months before applications for birth information can be accepted.

Roderic O’Gorman, minister for children, equality, disability, integration and youth, has signed an orer providing for the birth information and tracing services to be available from Monday 3 October 2022.

The minister said: “This Act finally and conclusively addresses the wrongful denial of people’s identity rights over many decades in this State. We have finally found a way to provide a clear right for each person to full and unredacted access to all of his or her information where available.

“Now, as all affected persons will be able to avail of these new provisions, allowing unfettered access to their birth information, we will be able to see the positive, real world impact of the work we have undertaken on this Act.”