Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology

Dr Fergus Ryan of Maynooth University Department of Law has been referenced in an Irish Examiner article by former Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Katherine Zappone. Over several years, Fergus has been active in promoting greater access to birth information for people who have been adopted. In 2014, he drafted the Adoption (Identity and Information) Bill 2014. The Bill, sponsored by Senators Averil Power, Jillian van Turnhout, and Fidelma Healy Eames, sought to help people who have been adopted to access information on their origins, including original birth certificates. The Bill was passed by the Seanad in 2015. In the Irish Examiner, Dr Zappone references Fergus as one of the Constitutional Law academics who advised her on adopting a legislative framework favouring disclosure of information and birth certificates for adopted people.  The link is here:
 
https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-40209968.html"