Currently there is no legislation allowing adoptees automatic access to their own files. Automatic access to adoption files needs to be legislated for, so that the equality and identity rights given to other citizens are afforded to adoptees.
Why is this important?
Irish adoptees have no automatic right to access our adoption files, birth certificate, health, heritage or history information. A right to identity is a recognised human right and adoptees are denied this right. This affects Irish Adoptees from historic, domestic adoption, along with their children and extended families.