Illegal adoptions: Government to consider review of St Patrick’s Guild files

The Government will on Tuesday consider its response to a review of adoption files which was launched in the wake of revelations about illegal adoptions arranged by St Patrick’s Guild society.

Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman is expected to bring a memo to Cabinet seeking approval for publication of a sampling review.

It is understood that further files indicating illegal adoptions arranged by other organisations have been discovered as part of the sampling review.

The review was initiated by former minister for children Katherine Zappone after it emerged in 2018 that 126 births in 1946-1969 had been falsely registered with the names of the adoptive parents incorrectly recorded as the birth parents.

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The errors were disclosed when Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, investigated files marked “adopted from birth” held at former adoption society, St Patrick’s Guild.

Tusla later said it found more cases of this on St Patrick’s Guild files, bringing the total to 151.

While the review stops short of recommending a full inquiry, there is an expectation among Ministers that an inquiry is needed. Mr O’Gorman is likely to outline steps that could be taken at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting.

Last week, the Sisters of Charity – which ran St Patrick’s Guild – said it was “deeply saddened” by disclosures in the RTÉ Investigates programme on illegal adoptions.

The religious order called for “a full and comprehensive Government inquiry into adoption practices in the State since 1922”.

A statement added: “St Patrick’s Guild clearly played a role in what happened over many decades. We deeply regret the hurt and harm caused and hope that a full review will give the answers that are clearly needed.”

Mr O’Gorman is separately expected to seek approval for plans to bring in an extra three weeks of paid parent’s leave from next month.

The Family Leave Bill 2021 will mean that mothers and fathers of babies born since November 2019 will be able to take five weeks of parent’s leave rather than the two currently provided for.

The intention is for the new law to pass all stages of the Oireachtas this month so that parents can apply for the leave from April.

Leaving Cert

Separately, Minister for Education Norma Foley is to seek Government approval for plans for the State Examinations Commission (SEC) to get the legal powers to run the accredited – or calculated – grades system for the Leaving Cert along with the written exams.

Under Government plans for this year’s Leaving Cert, students will be able to sit the exam and get calculated grades and take the best results from both.

The draft law will also prohibit canvassing of teachers by students or parents, and provide indemnity from legal actions for teachers and schools for their role in participating in the calculated grades system.

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien is set to bring proposals to Government that would see protections for tenants struggling to meet their rent due to the Covid-19 pandemic extended for three months.

The protections, including rent freezes and an increased 90-day notice period for the ending of tenancies, are due to expire on April 12th.

However, they will remain in place until July 12th if Mr O’Brien gets approval for legislative amendments to the Planning and Development, And Residential Tenancies, Act 2020.

People in receipt of Pandemic Unemployment Payments (PUP), the Covid-19 illness benefit, and other supports designed to help with loss of earnings due to Covid-19 are eligible to avail of the protections.