1) A 🧵to summarise the reality of what's happening under @rodericogorman's 'landmark legislation'.

📁The Minister promised 'a full & complete set of records' but that's not what we're getting. Instead, as I explain👇he has created chaos instead of a new streamlined system. 2) ℹ️Because of how info is defined under the legislation, to get the bare minimum of what they're entitled to (but not everything) people will have no choice but to do a GDPR subject access request (SAR) alongside their application under the new system. See the next 2 tweets.

1) Today I got (some) records from Tusla via the new system.

Minister @rodericogorman ignored our concerns on how info is defined.

Repeatedly he said 'Nothing will be redacted. Nothing will be held back.'

🚨Well unfortunately there ARE redactions & records HAVE been held back. 2) We knew this would happen because of the definitions: *some* records can be released but others are restricted.

I haven't calculated yet but I think over 50% of my file has been withheld. Not quite 'the full & complete set of records' as the Minister repeatedly claimed.

1) Quick 🧵to offer insight into why affected people are angry about the delays in releasing records. The main issue isn't the delay itself, it's that people were told to expect a response within 30 days & that promise was broken at the 1st hurdle. Eg. 👇

https://twitter.com/cmcgettrick/status/1585967710529376256?s=20&t=qknm_VMkjuGGasgyBTsSnA

2) The State has no grasp of how low trust levels are. Understanding means going beyond just hearing the words. That would only have been achieved through consultation, but the Minister opted to design the system without us.

https://twitter.com/cmcgettrick/status/1586348295139561472?s=20&t=qknm_VMkjuGGasgyBTsSnA

1) Chapter 8 of our book (entitled 'Bringing up the Dead: Burials and Land Deals at High Park') tells the story of the events surrounding the exhumation of 155 women who were disinterred so the nuns could sell the land.

The following is a flavour of what the chapter reveals. 2) The research took many years. It draws from State records, an eyewitness account of the exhumations, correspondence from the orders, death certificates, gravestones, inquest records, cemetery records, OSI data, planning records, newspaper archives, census & electoral records.

1/ Re that op-ed on truth-telling, here's a summary of what actually happened in 2019.

In June 2019 the then Minister for Children announced an administrative system where Tusla would try to contact both natural parents when an adopted person sought their birth cert. 2/ Under these proposals natural parents who opposed the release of info to an adopted person would have a right to a hearing before the Adoption Authority & the AAI would then make a decision.

NB we are talking about a birth cert - a public document.

🚨Re the contention that a referendum on adopted people's right to their information 🚨

Firstly legal scholars e.g., @ConorUCCLaw have repeatedly argued that a referendum isn't necessary in order to legislate for access to birth certificates: constitutionproject.ie/?p=331 #rtept 1/ Secondly, birth certificates have been public records since 1864. There is no legitimate reason to hold a referendum to allow access to a publicly available document. I mean, come on?

You do know that our birth certs don't even have our mothers' addresses right? 2/

1/ A comprehensive analysis of the Commission Report will not happen this week.

It will take a considerable amount of time for us to attempt to access the Commission's sources (where possible that is) & carefully examine their conclusions. 2/ At first glance however, I'm afraid the signs are not good. E.g.:

The contention that adoption in Ireland was not forced.

The idea that women were somehow mistaken that they didn't fully consent at the time of the adoption.

A thread with information and resources for anyone who is new to #UnsealTheArchive (also tagging in #Stand4Truth for people following that)

I thought it might be helpful to put together a thread with some basic information to give an idea of who we all are & what we do. 1/ To the survivors, adopted people, natural mothers, natural family members becoming politicised for the first time - welcome! Peer support is available here: facebook.com/groups/adoptio…

To the allies, welcome also and thank you for your support! 2/

Our work is always informed by the views/experiences of survivors, family members & adopted people. We’re the experts because they have trusted us & guided us for decades. 10/ Moreover, the work of the @clann_project is carried out under strict ethical protocols which stipulate confidentiality & informed consent: clannproject.org/wp-content/upl… 11/

FYI @barrymward, we’re not ‘other parties’. I’m adopted, a stakeholder in this & I set up the tech side of the email campaign. I informed you of this yesterday but I am still awaiting a response:

https://twitter.com/cmcgettrick/status/1319654719493689344?s=20

7/ @barrymward The language & legal analysis in the email campaign was a collaborative effort between @adoptionrights & @maglaundries, ie @maeveorourke @Ka_ODonnell @susanlohan & myself as the @clann_project 8/

A thread in response to serious allegations made by @barrymward under privilege in the Seanad yesterday: #Stand4Truth #UnsealTheArchive 1/ @barrymward The allegations made by @barrymward are typical of the type of bullying women experience on a daily basis, so my colleagues & I decided that we can’t allow this to go unchecked. 2/

Behold, a DCYA official feeling sorry for Br**a O'Br**n because of something I said.

If you've figured out (or suspect) who the official is, PLEASE don't mention the person, because an extremely important point needs to be addressed here. 1/ This runs to the heart of what's wrong with how the Irish State responds to both historic & ongoing human rights abuses. 2/

This is a (pretty long) thread about adoption information rights and attitudes towards adopted people. First, a quick synopsis of the facts. a) Adopted people have no automatic right to access their birth certificates and adoption files; b) Adopted people's birth certificates are a public record and we can already access them. It just takes us a lot longer when we're blindfolded with one hand tied behind our backs;