Dáil Éireann Debate, Friday - 7 September 2018
1183. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of adoption records held by the State by category (details supplied) at which babies were given up for adoption; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36987/18]
View answerThe Adoption Authority of Ireland holds all the records relating to domestic adoptions in Ireland from 1953 to the present day, of which are approximately 45,000. In addition there are approximately 100,000 records in the care of Tusla and the Adoption Authority of Ireland from former adoption societies.
While the records the Deputy has referenced are not adoption records, the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016 provides for the Adoption Authority of Ireland to be responsible for collecting, restoring, preserving and safekeeping of adoption records, including information relating to informal adoptions and persons whose birth was illegally registered. It is possible that a number of these records of those institutions referenced in the Deputy's question, to the extent that they are relevant records under the legislation, will come in to the custody of the State under this legislation, if they are not already.
The Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016 has passed Second Stage in the Seanad and it is my intention that the Bill will be enacted by the end of the year.
