Adoption in Ireland has come a long way since the Adoption Act of 1952 under the terms of which about 43,000 people have been adopted. From 1952 until 1973, when the unmarried mothers' allowance was introduced, young unmarried mothers faced not only isolation and stigma, but utter penury. After that they could keep their babies without starving but the stigma remained. The 1987 Status of Children Act abolished the status of illegitimacy and with it most of the stigma associated with birth outside marriage.
Subsequently, most young unmarried women who gave birth opted to keep their babies. Today one in three births is outside marriage. The corollary is that very few Irish babies are available for adoption and childless couples seeking to adopt are going abroad to do so. There have been 600 inter-country adoptions since this practice was legalised in Ireland in 1991.
At the same time, those who have been adopted and their natural parents, especially mothers, have been seeking information about the circumstances surrounding the adoptions and their outcomes. For the past 20 years, adoption agencies have faced queries, particularly from adopted people, seeking to contact their birth families. These were dealt with on an ad hoc basis, provoking some criticism from those seeking the information and certain fears of sudden contact from those who gave up their children many decades ago.
In this context, yesterday's launch of the first report on the operation of the National Adoption Contact Preference Register, and the publication of the Framework for a National Adoption Information and Tracing Service, demonstrate that the tracing process and information provision now operate on a proper professional basis and offer assurance to users that they are in control of the process. Those joining the register specify what level of contact they would like, from meeting their child, parent or sibling, to having no contact but providing background and medical information. The fact that almost 7,000 have signed up to the register in the two years since it opened is evidence of its success.
The challenge that lies ahead for the Adoption Board is twofold: persuading those reluctant to sign up - primarily older natural mothers - that they have nothing to fear and that no contact will take place without their agreement; and preparing for the queries likely to arise when those adopted under the 1991 Act reach their majority. Those adopted from Romanian orphanages, often at the age of two or three, are approaching the age of 18 now. The board will need all its skill and professionalism to meet these challenges.