Thomas Pringle (Donegal South West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I take on board the Minister's correction of the wording of my question but while adoption may have been legalised in 1952, I personally know of a number of forced adoptions that took place after that time. While they may have been legal, they were still forced in the sense that they took place against the will of the mothers concerned. There is no doubt a lot of the information in the records may not be as complete as they would be now but I still believe that providing access to those records is vital for mothers trying to trace their children and for those who might want to trace their biological parents. The key point is to make the records available and accessible, and whether they are complete is something we will have to deal with. Many of those seeking their records understand they may not provide all the information they need or want. Nevertheless, the key issue is availability and access to enable people to get some completion in their lives.

See this speech in context