Written answers

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Department of Children and Youth Affairs

Adoption Data

Photo of Richard Boyd BarrettRichard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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622. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs to request Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to establish a task force to process retrospective cases so that persons seeking information about ancestors in care will have a specific point of contact. [11270/16]

Photo of Katherine ZapponeKatherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The Adoption Act 1952 provided a legal basis for adoption in Ireland and brought order to what had been the system of ad hocarrangements in lieu of formal adoption procedures up to this point. Prior to the introduction of the Adoption Act 1952 some children were placed in life long family care arrangements, where a child was in the custody of a person other than his or her parent or guardian and where no adoption order was effected. These arrangements were never formalised.

Adoption information and tracing services are provided by Tusla, the Adoption Authority and a number of accredited agencies that hold adoption records.The Agencies deal with a significant number of requests for information from birth parents, adoptees, their relatives and those who were subject of informal care arrangements. Since its establishment, Tusla has been working to bring local adoption services under the management of one national service in order to provide a more consistent and streamlined approach to adoption services. An improvement plan was introduced to address the waiting list and as a result the waiting list and waiting times are reducing. I also understand that Tusla gives priority to individual cases, having regard to the particular circumstances of the case, including the age or health of the individual concerned.

The forthcoming Adoption [Information and Tracing] Bill will provide a legal basis for people to trace their origins where this is possible and it will deal with the issue of birth records and access to them. In these circumstances, I do not consider that a task force, as suggested by the Deputy, will be required.

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