Sir, - With regard to Mr Dick Spring's letter (June 5th) and his reference to the establishment of a voluntary contact register, it is difficult to understand the delay in establishing such a register, which has been advocated by all parties with an interest in adoption for over a decade.
No legislation is required for the establishment of a passive register. All that is required is the political will to make the necessary funding available. The most logical body to maintain and run this register is the Adoption Board, which already holds all, the records for legal adoption since the first Adoption Act in 1952.
A voluntary contact register will be only a small step towards improving the current adoption system. The Council of Irish Adoption Agencies eagerly awaits the establishment of a comprehensive legal framework for access to birth records. We hope that the incoming government will take this issue on board and finally address this complex situation. - Yours, etc.,
Council of Irish Adoption Agencies, Dublin 2.