During the campaign to repeal the eighth amendment we heard hundreds of stories from women throughout the country, stories that in many cases that had never been told before. They shone a light on the lives of women in Ireland and the reality of people's lives. It was an unveiling of the wrongs done to women, as our colleague, Deputy Clare Daly, so eloquently put it yesterday in the Chamber. There was an attitude that prevailed for so long that others knew better. Thankfully, that attitude has slowly been demolished. Yesterday saw the latest revelations of another failure by the State and those who controlled our society. The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Katherine Zappone, announced details of illegal adoptions where the birth details of children had been misclassified. The word "misclassified" is not appropriate as it sounds very innocuous. It is not what it is - an illegal adoption. It is high time we dealt with issues that have for too long been kept in the dark.

An initial examination by Tusla of the records of St. Patrick's Guild has identified 126 so-called incorrect registrations, more correctly called illegal adoptions. At least 79 people may be entirely unaware of the true circumstances surrounding their births. Who they are has been kept from them. Our identity is central to who we are and how we see ourselves in the world and how we are remembered. In the coming days people will be contacted and given news that will, in many cases, be shattering for those who believed they knew who they were. As the Taoiseach said, supports must be put in place for them. Tusla must be adequately resourced. The Taoiseach has said it must be done with the utmost sensitivity, but it is essential that Tusla be resourced to do it. I want the Taoiseach's assurance in that regard.

We need to identify, where possible, how many illegal adoptions happened and to respect the rights of those directly impacted on, those who had their births misclassified, and restore their information and identity to them. My colleague, Deputy Joan Burton, has been calling for a full audit of the records of adoption societies. We fully support her in that call. The Minister has said a sample of records will be taken, as the Taoiseach has just indicated, from each adoption society. We are talking about what may be needles in haystacks in adopting that approach. Only a very small number of the 150,000 records may be affected. It needs to be headed by an international expert and provided with the resources necessary to get to the bottom of the matter. The right to information must be provided for. Many adopted persons are still unable to access their own files.

I want to reiterate some of the questions that have not been answered fully. With reference to Deputy Micheal Martin's question about progressing the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill, will the Taoiseach give us an assurance that it will move much more quickly? It was published in 2016. Will he commit to a full audit of all adoption records? Will he ensure wraparound supports will be put in place for those who will receive this earth-shattering news about who they are and fully resource Tusla to provide them?

On the audit of records, I answered that question, as did the Minister, Deputy Katharine Zappone. I have also answered the question about the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill. On giving an assurance about the passage of the Bill through the House, I can offer no such assurance as we do not have a majority in the Dáil or the Seanad. We are seeing other legislation being held up in the House, not by the Government but by Opposition Members. Two Bills have been delayed in recent weeks which, in turn, holds up the passage of other legislation. I appeal to Members, particularly Opposition Members, not to hold up legislation because they are not just holding up that legislation but all legislation. This is the Government that published the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill, legislation that could have been published by any Government in the past ten, 20, 30 or 40 years. We have done it and the people can trust us to be the ones who will bring it to fruition. They can trust the Minister, Deputy Katharine Zappone, to do it and she will have the full support of Cabinet in doing so.

Tusla has notified the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and transferred scanned versions of the relevant records to it. It has also informed the Garda of the matter and provided it, at its request, with ten sample cases, although we need to bear in mind that the people who were operating the adoption agencies may be very elderly or deceased. Nonetheless, we think it is appropriate that the Garda should examine the records with a view to potential prosecutions. In the first instance, we want to ensure we identify the men and women who are at the centre of this matter and work to get the answers and explanations they want and need and given them the choice or opportunity to meet their birth parents, if they so wish, that is, if their birth parents are still alive and can be contacted. I am assured that Tusla is keenly aware of the sensitivities involved and will work through experienced information and tracing social workers to ensure the cases are progressed as sensitively and effectively as possible.

A number of actions are under way. A social worker has been assigned to each of the 126 individual cases. They are very much individual cases. They will provide counselling and support for the individuals involved throughout the process and be resourced in doing so. There will be no sudden telephone calls or unannounced visits to people's doors. The process of offering contact and supporting the people affected will be handled very carefully on a case by case basis and at the pace of the individual concerned, the pace he or she believes is appropriate, given his or her personal circumstances. It is a detailed and methodical process which will take some time, as it must start with identifying the locations of the individuals involved on the basis of information on files that are now decades, in fact, more than half a century old. Social workers will deliver sensitive information face to face in a supportive environment as far as possible in a venue of the person's choice. No information will be delivered over the telephone or by cold calls to people's homes.

I thank the Taoiseach for the additional information he has given us and the fact that social workers have been assigned and that there will be no sudden telephone calls, which is really important. This will go on for quite some time and others will be identified as time passes. Will the Taoiseach give us a commitment that there will be ongoing and continuous funding and support? I acknowledge the work done by the Minister, Deputy Katharine Zappone. I was one of the people briefed by her and her officials during the passage of the Adoption (Amendment) Act to which we proposed an amendment on tracing and the provision of information. It is disingenuous to suggest that because the Government is in a minority, the legislation cannot be progressed more quickly. It has been in process for a long time. There has been a lot of consultation, both during the passage or the Act and on the current Bill. We need the Taoiseach to ensure the next Stage will progress quickly in the Seanad. I do not believe anybody in this House will obstruct its passage when it is brought before us. We, therefore, urge the Taoiseach to give us a more clear commitment on the passage of the Bill.

Perhaps the best way to progress the further passage of the Bill is for the Minister, Deputy Zappone, to meet with spokespeople in the coming days to see if we can resolve some of the issues. There are a number of quite complex technical issues and the Minister would be very willing to brief spokespeople on them. Tusla already operates an adoption information and tracing service and does it in various locations around the country. The Adoption Authority of Ireland also provides limited information and tracing services relating to the records it holds. We want to improve that and put it on a statutory basis but while we get this information, the information tracing service is available.