Ms Orlaith Traynor, Chairperson of the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI), is pleased to announce the publication of the AAI Annual Report 2020. The report sets out in detail the activities of the Authority throughout the year and developments in adoption in Ireland.
In a landmark year, for the first time since its establishment in 2010, the Authority used remote technology to hold adoption hearings and orders. With Chairman Dr Geoffrey Shannon presiding, the Board granted 39 adoption orders via Zoom during the COVID-19 lockdown. The remaining 42 of the total 81 adoption orders granted in 2020 took place in person under strict social distancing protocols. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the AAI operated and delivered a full service in its capacity as a quasi-judicial body.