Kathleen Funchion urges immediate action on birth certificate access
Kathleen Funchion urged immediate action on legislation to give people access to their birth certificates and records, calling the bill a necessary first step. She said the Dáil should pass and put the legislation into effect now, while welcoming further measures to widen access to medical and adoption files.
Legislation and stance
Kathleen Funchion described the bill as a first step that is ready to go and must be both passed and actioned. She noted that most speakers understood this was an initial measure, with the exception of two ministers who spoke.
Concerns about failures to survivors
She said many people have been repeatedly failed by the state, first while incarcerated in institutions and subsequently by ongoing institutional failings. She criticised a recent report as a total disgrace that did no justice to survivors.
Support for wider access to records
Funchion welcomed proposals for broader access to medical files and adoption files and said she and her colleagues will work with the Minister and others bringing forward further legislation. She emphasised the importance of matching sympathetic words and apologies with concrete action.
Call for immediate action in 2021
She said it is a disgrace that in 2021 a cohort of people in Irish society still do not have access to their birth certificate and urged the Dáil to ensure that this does not continue. The speech framed today’s vote as an opportunity to demonstrate commitment to listening to survivors and delivering practical change.
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Thanks very much Ciancorla. I just want to first of all start by thanking everybody who has contributed to the debate and everyone for their supportive words. I was struck by the fact that everyone, with the exception of the two ministers that spoke, really seemed to understand that this is a first step. And that's been what we've said from the minute that we published or launched this legislation a number of weeks ago. So it's not going to solve all of the problems. But as my colleague, Deputy Mayor Lou MacDonald has just said, we have to start somewhere and every process has to start somewhere. And I think that this is a really good start. And I also think it demonstrates to people who have been failed time and time again by the state, initially for anyone that was incarcerated into one of these institutions. And then subsequently all of the, the list is endless really of the failings, particularly most recently with the report that was just a total disgrace and really, you know, did absolutely no justice to survivors. So people have constantly been failed and they're constantly being made promises. And, you know, we're sort of led to believe from the government side, you're not going to oppose it because you think it's well intentioned, but yet you have a much better all singing, all dancing legislation that's going to be coming forward very soon. And that's great. And that's welcome. Everybody wants to see that legislation. Everybody wants to see wider access to medical files and to adoption files. However, this is here now ready to go. And it's a one step, a first step. And I think we really need to not just pass it today, which obviously we do want to see happen. We want to see it supported, but we also want to see it actually actioned upon. And then, yes, we will have the other legislation and we will welcome that. And we will work with you, Minister and anybody else that's bringing proposals forward in relation to this, because it's about doing the right thing, but it's actually about action in relation to that. You know, we have to match all of the sympathetic words that we've heard over the last while and match all of the apologies that people have heard with actual action. And today is an opportunity to do that and to demonstrate to people that everybody in this house is serious about listening, finally listening to people and doing the right thing. And there's no difficulty with having that supported further down the line in a number of weeks or whenever the legislation that you're bringing forward is ready. We will openly, you know, we obviously have to wait to see that, but we will openly welcome anything that gives people access to their information. But this is a very first step. And in 2021 to say that there is a cohort of people in Irish society that do not have access to their birth certificate is a disgrace. And we have the opportunity today to ensure that that doesn't happen anymore. Thank you very much. Thank you.
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