The term “birth mother” is set to be dropped from legislation on adoption and tracing working its way through the Oireachtas, Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman will tell a parliamentary committee on Tuesday.
Mr O’Gorman is to give evidence on Tuesday afternoon to the joint committee on children, equality, disability integration and youth, which is carrying out pre-legislative scrutiny on the general scheme of the Birth Information and Tracing Bill.
In his opening statement, the Green Party Minister will say that he has met with a group of mothers to discuss the “deeply sensitive issue of the term”, which is used in the heads of the Bill.
“I am clear that a more suitable term is needed,” he will say, although no alternative term has yet been agreed. Mr O’Gorman has met with a group of mothers who feel the term is “reductive and hurtful”.
“Some find the term natural mother more appropriate, other prefer the term first mother,” he will say, noting that a survey of adopted people undertaken by the advocacy group Aitheantas finds that there is a preference for the term.