Almost 900 adopted people and relatives applied to the new Contact Preference Register last month, the Adoption Authority of Ireland has said.
The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022, which was enacted on July 1st, provides legal entitlement to full and unrestricted access to birth certificates, birth, early life, care and medical information for any person who was adopted, boarded out, had their birth illegally registered or who otherwise has questions in relation to their origins.
The law also establishes a Contact Preference Register (CPR) to which applications can be made by those wishing to make contact, to request privacy, or to seek or share information with a relative. The Adoption Authority of Ireland operates the CPR.
Of the 891 people who applied to register their preferences in relation to contact, 786 applications were from adoptees, 90 were from birth parents and 15 were other relatives. There were 820 people who expressed a preference for contact at some level.
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There were 32 people who expressed a desire for no contact (24 adoptees and eight relatives) while 39 applicants (30 adoptees and nine relatives) did not want contact but were willing to share information.
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The majority of all applications (786) came from people in Ireland, with 105 applications from those who live overseas.
The greatest number of applications from outside Ireland came from the UK, with 50 people registering contact preferences, followed by the US (17) and Australia (four). The county in Ireland with the most applications was Dublin (253), followed by Cork (118) and Meath (48). The county with the fewest applications was Leitrim (four).
The oldest applicant to the register was 81, while the youngest, aged five, had an application submitted by their adoptive parents. The mean age of adoptees and relatives was 50.
Of the 786 adoptees who applied to the register, 74 per cent of them were seeking contact with their birth mother. Almost 17 per cent of applicants stated that they wanted to trace their birth father, with 9 per cent seeking contact with a sibling, and 1.3 per cent seeking contact with a grandparent, cousin, aunt, or uncle.
Of the 105 relatives who applied, 86 per cent of them were seeking contact with their child, just under 5 per cent said they wanted to contact siblings and almost 10 per cent were seeking contact with a grandparent, cousin, aunt, or uncle.
As part of a public information campaign around the new legislation, a booklet on the services to be provided is being delivered to every household in Ireland.
Patricia Carey, chief executive of the Adoption Authority, said they are “very encouraged” by the number of people who have registered on the Contact Preference Register.
“These are mostly adoptees — but also birth parents and other relatives — for whom the Birth Information and Tracing Act is a really important piece of legislation,” she said. “Come October, when the free services under the legislation open, adoptees will finally have the right to access all of their birth information held by the State. This wasn’t the case previously, so it is a big deal.”
Ms Carey said the authority would be able to help applicants to the register by facilitating contact between adoptees and birth parents and other relatives, at a level with which the parties are comfortable.
“The 1.85 million booklets landing on doorsteps throughout the country explain what the new legislation means and how this works. I would urge anyone impacted by the legislation to read and consider the information it contains, and perhaps talk to a trusted friend, before deciding what they want to do,” she said.
