Complaints

This complaints procedure allows anyone receiving adoption services to make a complaint about the actions or failures of the Adoption Authority of Ireland. The complaints system also covers registered accredited bodies who provide various adoption related services.

Frequently asked questions

    What can you make a complaint about?

    You may make a complaint about any action of the Authority or an accredited body that:

    • In your view, doesn’t seem to be fair or reliable administrative practice and
    • Adversely affects you, or someone on whose behalf you are making a complaint.

    What is fair or reliable administrative practice?

    Administrative practice refers to the way decisions are made and how services operate. Under the complaints system, administrative practice isn’t considered to be fair or reliable if it is:

    • Taken without proper authority;
    • Taken on irrelevant grounds;
    • The result of negligence or carelessness;
    • Based on erroneous or incomplete information;
    • Improperly discriminatory;
    • Based on undesirable administrative practice; or
    • In any other respect, against fair or sound administration.

    Who can make a complaint?

    Any affected individual can make a complaint. If you are unable to make a complaint on your own behalf due to your age, illness or disability, you can nominate someone else to make the complaint on your behalf, for example  

    • A close relative;
    • Anyone appointed by law or the courts to take care of your affairs;
    • A legal representative; or
    • Anyone else with your consent.

    Which complaints are not covered?

    • A matter that is, or has been the subject of legal proceedings before a court or tribunal;
    • A matter relating solely to the decision of the Authority in performing its statutory functions (for example an application for an adoption order or an application for an entry in the Register of Intercountry Adoptions);
    • A matter relating to the recruitment, appointment or terms and conditions of an employee of the Authority recruited through the Public Appointments Service;
    • A matter that could prejudice an investigation being undertaken by An Gárda Síochana;
    • A matter that has been brought before any other statutory complaints procedure.

    How to make a complaint

    If you wish to make a complaint about the Authority you should first try to resolve the problem locally. That means, bringing the complaint to the attention of the person in charge of the service, for example the manager of the relevant unit at the Authority or to the principal social worker (if the complaint refers to an Authority social worker). The Authority has ten administrative units, namely

    You will help speed up the investigation of your complaint by providing the following details:

    • Your name, address and email address
    • Exactly what you were dissatisfied with
    • The name of the official or section you dealt with
    • A daytime telephone number.

    You will need to make your complaint in writing, giving as much detail as you can. Written complaints will be acknowledged within five working days and the complaint will be investigated within 30 days by a complaints officer. If the investigation takes longer than 30 days, the complaints officer will keep you up updated about progress on your complaint every 20 working days.

    Following the investigation, you will receive a written response to your complaint and will be advised of your right to have an internal review of the recommendation of the complaints officer. You will also be told of your right to complain to the Ombudsman or the Ombudsman for Children.

    • All complaints will be treated promptly, fairly, impartially and in confidence;
    • We will keep records of complaints separate from other records
    • We will ensure that no complaint you have made in good faith will be used to your disadvantage in the future
    • We will endeavour to learn from mistakes to ensure that errors are not repeated.