The Adoption Authority of Ireland’s research unit is recruiting for a research study with internationally adopted people.

This would involve participating in one online focus group, and completing a brief questionnaire. The purpose of this study is to understand the experiences and views of people who were adopted into Ireland from another country. We hope to understand more about the experiences of this group from adolescence through to adulthood, and to give them a way to voice their views about adoption and reflect on childhood experiences growing up in Ireland. We also want to find out about what, if any, support(s) they feel would be useful to internationally adopted people.

Recruitment will commence in mid-October 2022. Please keep an eye on the AAI website for more information. For any queries, or to pre-register your interest in the study, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Press Release: 22 September 2022

• 2, 174 people have registered contact preferences since enactment of landmark legislation
• County by county breakdown of applicants
• Birth information and tracing services start on October 3

A total of 16, 634 adopted persons, birth parents, and other relatives have now registered with the Adoption Authority of Ireland to state their preferences about making contact with birth relatives.

Latest figures show that 2,174 people have joined the new Contact Preference Register (CPR), which was established on July 1 as part of the enactment of the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022. The CPR replaces the old National Adoption Contact Preference Register (NACPR), on which 14, 460 people were registered.

The Birth Information and Tracing Act provides legal entitlement, where available, to full and unrestricted access to birth certificates, birth, early life, care, and medical information for any person who was adopted, boarded out, had their birth illegally registered, or who otherwise has questions in relation to their origins. The new law also creates a statutory service for those affected by adoption who are seeking to make contact with birth relatives. 

Services under the Birth Information and Tracing Act are provided free of charge and will be available from October 3rd.

Persons wishing to make contact, to request privacy, or to seek or share information with a birth relative, can register their preferences via an application to the CPR, which is operated by the Adoption Authority of Ireland. Persons who registered with the old NACPR - which was established in 2005 - will have their preferences migrated to the new register, bringing to 16, 634 the total number of people on the CPR.

Of the 2, 174 applications submitted to the CPR since July 1st, 1, 922 are from adopted persons, 236 are from birth parents and other relatives, and 18 are illegal birth registration applicants. Of the applications, 1, 743 have come from Ireland, 119 from the UK, 49 from the USA, and 245 from people in other countries around the world.

Dublin is the county with the most applicants, followed by Cork, and then Kildare. The county with the fewest applicants is Leitrim. (NB: Please see appendix with breakdown of applicants by county).

On the CPR, 145 people (97 adoptees and 48 birth relatives) have expressed a wish to have no contact - all other applicants are willing to share information or are seeking contact at some level. Of those migrating from the old NACPR, 248 people registered to have no contact. 

The CPR will remain open after birth information and tracing services begin, allowing people to register or update their preferences at any stage. Applications can be made at www.birthinfo.ie 

Adoption Authority CEO Patricia Carey said: "People in Ireland who were adopted, boarded out or had their birth information illegally registered have waited a very long time to gain access to their own information. Finally, from October 3, they will be able to apply for and receive unredacted information about their birth and early years. 

"The Adoption Authority and our colleagues in Tusla look forward to providing this information and helping people establish contact with their birth families through the new tracing services. 

"There has been an incredible response to the public information campaign around this landmark legislation. To have more than 2, 000 people register their preferences on the new Contact Preference Register in just 11 weeks shows how important and much anticipated these new services are for those affected by adoption.

"Including the preferences of those on the old National Adoption Contact Preference Register that have been migrated, there are now more than 16, 000 people on the new CPR and we are better placed than ever to help facilitate contact and reunions between family members who wish it".

"The focus is now switching to delivering information and tracing services, but the CPR will remain open. Anyone who wants to register or update their contact preferences can so so at any time by visiting www.birthinfo.ie and filling out an online application form". 

*Free counselling services for birth parents or relevant persons affected are now available. Applications can be made by contacting Tusla at 0818 44 55 00 or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

- Ends -

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Craig McKechnie | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | +353 (0)87 621 8839

Richard Burke | This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | +353 (0)86 816 7822

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Breakdown of applications to the new Contact Preference Register (CPR) to September 16:

County-by-county breakdown of new applications to Contact Preference Register (CPR) and previous applications to old National Adoption Contact Preference Register (NACPR):

About the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022

• The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 ensures, for the first time, that 'a relevant person' (adopted person, person who was, or suspects they were, boarded our, nursed out or resident in a Mother and Baby Home or County Home, and persons whose birth was illegally registered, or they suspect their birth was illegally registered) can now apply for their birth certificate, birth, early life, care and medical information. Any items left for the relevant person such as letters, photographs and mementoes can also be applied for. 
• This means that adopted people and others will be able to have records that show their name at birth, birthplace, and date, as well as their parents' names, dates of birth and other details. Any records related to their health including details of vaccinations will also be provided. 
• People affected by the issues under the legislation are invited to register their contact preference or complete a new application to update an existing contact preference, on the new Contact Preference Register. If a person is eligible to register a preference, it's important to do so before the Information Service opens for applications on October 3rd 2022. Contact preferences can still be registered after that date. However, when an application for information is received, only preferences recorded on the register at that point in time can be used by relevant persons - parents,  adoptive parents, birth relatives, other genetic relatives, or those who were carers in relation to a relevant person - to enable contact or the sharing or requesting of contemporaneous information. 
• Where the relevant person has died, their son or daughter will have the same right to information that relates to their parent, if the relevant person's parents (i.e. the applicants's grandparents) are also deceased. A next of kind can also apply for access if the relevant person died while resident as a child in a Mother and Baby or County Home Institution.
• In cases where a mother chooses to have no contact, this will not prevent her identity from being shared, but her right and wish not to be contacted will be communicated. 
• In cases where a mother chooses to have no contact, this will not stop adopted persons meeting or engaging with other family members, such as siblings or half siblings. 
• A preference for no contact only gives the Authority the remit to communicate the preference and inform relevant persons of their parents wish for privacy. It does not prohibit other actions under the Act.

ADOPTION AUTHORITY OF IRELAND

The Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) is the central authority for adoption in Ireland. Established under the Adoption Act 2010, the Authority operates as an independent body under the aegis of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY). The Authority's functions include those of an operational, judicial, and quasi-judicial nature in relation to the adoption process as provided for under the Act, but also relating to the Authority's designation as the Central Authority for the 1993 Hague Convention of the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. In addition, the Authority has registration and regulatory functions for all adoption related matters in Ireland. 

The Adoption Authority of Ireland is recruiting for a Legal Advisor/Solicitor.

The role description is available here.

Closing date is 12 noon on Monday 26 September 2022

Adoption Authority of Ireland Press Release 30 August 2022

Ms Orlaith Traynor, Chairperson of the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI), is pleased to announce the publication of the AAI Annual Report 2021. The report sets out in detail the activities of the Authority throughout the year and developments in adoption in Ireland.

In 2021, the Authority continued to hold adoption hearings and grand adoption orders using remote technology, and 101 adoption orders were granted via zoom.

The Authority warmly welcomed the publication on 11 May 2021 of the draft Birth Information and Tracing legislation, under which the Authority retains the Contact Preference Register for adopted persons and birth relatives. This legislation was enacted on 1 July this year. Once services provided for under the Act become available at the beginning of October the Authority will fully engage in providing adoptees with their birth certificates, early life information and - critically - their medical information. In June 2021, Chairperson Orlaith Traynor and CEO Patricia Carey appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Children, Disability, Equality and Integration, via video link, to give input on behalf of the Authority toward this historical Bill.

Key events of 2021 for the AAI

• Granted 101 domestic adoptions
• Added 469 new registrants to the voluntary adoption contact preference register.
• Identified 124 potential matches between new registrants and previously registered family members.
• Marked the first anniversary of the new AAI Board with 'Facts about Adoption in Ireland' infographic
• Published a research report looking at the adoption of children from Vietnam into Ireland between 1988 and 2020
• Took over the files of Here2Help agency

Media Enquiries

• Craig McKechnie - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.- 087 621 8839
• Richard Burke - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - 086 816 7822

The Adoption Authority is recruiting for Permanent Executive Officers(Panel).

The role description is available here, and in the Irish language here.

The Candidate Information Booklet is available here.

The Application Form is available here.

Closing date is 12 noon on Wednesday 14 September 2022

The Adoption Authority is recruiting for Permanent Executive Officers(Panel).

The role description is available here, and in the Irish language here.

The Candidate Information Booklet is available here.

The Application Form is available here.

Closing date is 12 noon on Wednesday 14 September 2022

The delivery of Birth Information and Tracing Booklets to all households across Ireland is well underway and is set to be completed in the next three weeks.  Thousands of copies of the booklet have already been distributed to people living overseas through Ireland’s network of embassies.

To ensure the widest audience possible information booklets have also been posted to 415 nursing homes, 12 prisons, 215 Citizens Information Offices, 50 homeless charities; 30 Libraries, and 127 Local Health/Primary Care Centres across Ireland.

If you have not yet received your booklet you can download a copy here or request one from the Adoption Authority by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or calling + 353 1 2309 300 (Option 5).

Notes to Editors

-       The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 provides a clear right for each person to full access to all of his or her birth, early life, care and medical information.

-       The new law sees the establishment of a robust tracing service and a Contact Preference Register, as well as a range of new bespoke measures to address issues arising for people affected by illegal birth registration.

-       A broad spectrum of counselling and support is also available on request.

-       All of these services will be free of charge for applicants.

-       The Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022 is being commenced in a phased way. In July 2022, a new Contact Preference Register, operated by Adoption Authority of Ireland, opened for applications.

-       This Register empowers people to record their preferences in relation to contact with others and the sharing and receiving of information.

-       The Act provides that the Contact Preference Register must be open for a minimum period of 3 months before applications for birth certificate and related birth information will be accepted.

-       In October 2022, Information and Tracing services under the legislation will open. From this time, applications for records can be made to the Adoption Authority of Ireland and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.

Press Release: August 4th 2022

A total of 891 adopted persons and relatives applied to the new Contact Preference Register last month following the commencement of the Birth Information and Tracing Act 2022.

The landmark legislation, which was enacted on July 1, provides legal entitlement to full and unrestricted access to birth certificates, birth, early life, care, and medical information for any person who was adopted, boarded out, had their birth illegally registered, or who otherwise has questions in relation to their origins.

The new law also establishes a Contact Preference Register (CPR) to which applications can be made by those wishing to make contact, to request privacy, or to seek or share information with a relative. The Adoption Authority of Ireland operates the CPR.

Of the 891 people who applied to register their preferences in relation to contact, 786 applications were from adoptees, 90 were from birth parents, and 15 were other relatives. There were 820 people who expressed a preference for contact at some level. There were 32 people who expressed a desire for no contact (24 adoptees and 8 relatives) while 39 applicants (30 adoptees and nine relatives) did not want contact but were willing to share information. 

As part of a public information campaign around the Birth Information and Tracing Act, a booklet on the important services to be provided under the new legislation is being delivered to every household in Ireland.

Patricia Carey, CEO of the Adoption Authority, said: “We are very encouraged by the number of people who have registered on the Contact Preference Register. These are mostly adoptees – but also birth parents and other relatives – for whom the Birth Information and Tracing Act is a really important piece of legislation. 

“Come October, when the free services under the legislation open, adoptees will finally have the right to access all of their birth information held by the State. This wasn’t the case previously, so it is a big deal.

“If they have applied to the Contact Preference Register, the Adoption Authority will also be able to facilitate contact between adoptees and birth parents and other relatives, at a level with which both parties are comfortable.

“The 1.85 million booklets landing on doorsteps throughout the country explain what the new legislation means and how this works. I would urge anyone impacted by the legislation to read and consider the information it contains, and perhaps talk to a trusted friend, before deciding what they want to do.”

The majority of all applications, 786, came from people in Ireland, with 105 applications from those who live overseas. The greatest number of applications from outside Ireland came from the UK, with 50 people registering contact preferences. Next was the US with 17 applications, followed by Australia with four.

The county in Ireland with the most applications in July was Dublin, with 253 people registering preferences, followed by Cork with 118 applications, and Meath with 48. The county with the fewest applications was Leitrim with four.

The oldest applicant to the CPR was 81, while the youngest, aged five, had an application submitted by their adoptive parents. The mean age of both adoptees and relatives was 50.

Of the 786 adoptees who applied to the CPR,  74% of them (580 people) are seeking contact with their birth mother. Almost 17% (130) of applicants stated they wanted to trace their birth father, with 9% (69) seeking contact with a sibling, and 1.3% (10) seeking contact with a grandparent, cousin, aunt, or uncle.

Of the 105 relatives who applied to the CPR, 86% of them (90 people) are seeking contact with their child, just under 5% (five people) said they wanted to contact siblings, and almost 10 % (10 people) are seeking contact with a grandparent, cousin, aunt, or uncle.

More than 48,000 children were adopted from 1953 to 2021. An additional 2,000+ children were sent from Ireland to other countries – mainly the United States – and adopted in these countries. In addition, an estimated 20,000+ children were ‘boarded out’ – sent to live with foster families at a time before 1953 when there was no legal adoption in Ireland.

Ms Carey added: “Most families in Ireland have been touched by adoption at some stage. The Adoption Authority is determined to reach as many people as possible – to let them know they can find out about their origins and to encourage all those eligible under the legislation to register their preferences on the Contact Preference Register.”

In October, both Information and Tracing services under the legislation will open. Applications for these services can be made to the Adoption Authority of Ireland and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. A website, www.birthinfo.ie, has been established for people seeking to make an application under the Act or seeking further information.

– Ends –

For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact Richard Burke, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | +353 (0) 868167822 or (01) 531 3532

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Breakdown of applications to the Contact Preference Register in July 2022 by ROI county, country, and category of contact person:

• The Birth Information and Tracing Act, 2022 ensures, for the first time, that 'a relevant person, (adopted person, person who was, or suspects they were, boarded out, nursed our or resident in a Mother and Baby or County Home, and persons whose birth was illegally registered, or they suspect their birth was illegally registered) can now apply for their birth certificate, birth, early life, care, and medical information. Any items left for the relevant person such as letters, photographs and mementoes can also be applied for. 
• This means that adopted people and others will be able to have records that show their name at birth, birthplace, and date, as well as their parents' names, dates of birth, and other details. Any records related to their health including details of vaccinations will also be provided.
• People affected by the issues under the legislation are invited to register their contact preference, or complete a new application to update an existing contact preference, on the new Contact Preference Register. If a person is eligible to register a preference, it's important to do so before the Information Service opens for applications in October 2022. Contact preferences can still be registered after that date. However, when an application for information is received, only preferences recorded on the register at that point in time can be released with the associated information. The tracing service can be used by relevant persons - parents, adoptive parents, birth relatives, other genetic relatives, or those who were carers in relation to a relevant person - to enable contact or the sharing or requesting of contemporaneous information. 
• Where the relevant person has died, their son or daughter will have the same right to information that relates to their parent, if the relevant person’s parents (i.e. the applicant’s grandparents) are also deceased. A next of kin can also apply for access if the relevant person died while resident as a child in a Mother and Baby or County Home Institution.
• In cases where a mother chooses to have no contact, this will not prevent her identity from being shared, but her right and wish not to be contacted will be communicated.
• In cases where a mother chooses to have no contact, this will not stop adopted persons meeting or engaging with other family members, such as siblings or half siblings.
• A preference for no contact only gives the Authority the remit to communicate the preference and inform relevant persons of their parents wish for privacy. It does not prohibit other actions under the Act.

ADOPTION AUTHORITY OF IRELAND

The Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) is the central authority for adoption in Ireland. Established under the Adoption Act 2010, the Authority operates as an independent body under the aegis of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY). The Authority’s functions include those of an operational, judicial, and quasi-judicial nature in relation to the adoption process as provided for under the Act, but also relating to the Authority’s designation as the Central Authority for the 1993 Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of lntercountry Adoption. In addition, the Authority has registration and regulatory functions for all adoption related matters in Ireland.