Majority of people on adoption contact register want to find birth relatives

A large majority of the more than 2,000 people, adopted or related to an adoptee, who have registered with the new contact preference register (CPR) want to find their birth relatives.

Figures from the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) show 2,174 registered people have registered with the CPR since it opened on July 1st. Of these just 145 expressed a preference to maintain their privacy — 97 adoptees and 48 birth relatives.

Of the total number of applicants 1,922 are from adopted people, 236 are from birth parents and other relatives, and 18 are illegal birth registration applicants. A total of 1,743 have come from Ireland, 119 from the UK, 49 from the USA, and 245 from people in other countries around the world.

Dublin is the county with the most applicants, followed by Cork, and then Kildare. The county with the fewest applicants is Leitrim.

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The register is a key component of the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 which provides a legal entitlement to, where available, full and unrestricted access to birth certificates, and 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.

[ Q&A: What is an illegal adoption, and was the State aware of the practice? ]

The new law also creates a statutory tracing service for those affected by adoption who are seeking to make contact with birth relatives.

All services are free of charge to anyone seeking to get or share information, about or with, a birth relative. People can also register their wish to maintain their privacy.

The 2,174 registrations come in addition to the 14,460 registered with the old National Adoption Contact Preference Register (NACPR), established in 2005 and now replaced by the CPR. Those names on the NACPR will automatically migrate to the CPR. Of these 248 people registered to have no contact.

Patricia Carey, chief executive of the AAI said there had been an “incredible response” to the CPR’s opening.

“To have more than 2,000 people register their preferences in just 11 weeks shows how important and much anticipated these new services are for those affected by adoption.

“People in Ireland who were adopted, boarded out or had their birth information illegally registered have waited a very long time to gain access to their own information.”

[ The Irish Times view on illegal adoptions: the State’s slow walk to justice ]

From October 3rd they will be able to apply for and receive unredacted information about their birth and earlier years.

“The adoption authority and our colleagues in Tusla look forward to providing this information and helping people establish contact with their birth families through the new tracing services,” said Ms Carey.