There have been calls for the Government to establish an investigation into Ireland’s “criminal” adoption system, which saw thousands of babies illegally adopted.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said illegal adoptions are “another massive failure and abuse” by the State in its treatment of women and children.
It comes after an investigation by RTÉ examined how religious orders were behind thousands of illegal adoptions over several decades.
The Department of Children confirmed there were at least 151 illegal adoptions at the St Patrick’s Guild adoption society in Dublin.
A number of adoptees have been contacted over the last three years and told they were illegally adopted and that birth certificates and paperwork were forged.
Many of them did not know they were adopted.
Ms McDonald said that successive governments have known of the scandals for decades, but have failed to act.
“Campaigners have been raising issues with successive governments since at least 2002 and, over the years, the Adoption Rights Alliance has raised specific issues of legal adoption with successive ministers, but it was only in 2018 that we began to see some movement,” Ms McDonald told the Dáil.
“This St Patrick’s audit is only the tip of the iceberg. It’s widely considered that thousands of children were illegally adopted, some trafficked to America and to elsewhere and that hundreds of institutions across the State were involved in these practices.
“Indeed, it has been reported that the government review has found evidence of illegal adoption in multiple organisations.
“We now need a transparent, inclusive investigation into Ireland’s adoption system as a whole, because this was yet another massive failure and massive abuse by the State in its treatment of women and children.
“It was deliberate and it was criminal. Children had their identities erased through the falsifications their birth certificates, their most basic right was stolen, the right to know who you are, to know where you came from.”
She said that many people have lived for decades unaware of their identities, and without access to their records.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the illegal adoptions have brought trauma and anguish to those affected.
“What happened was wrong, plain and simple, and completely unacceptable, and an enormous problem has been placed on people as a result of this illegality,” Mr Martin added.
The Government said it will introduce information and tracing legislation to allow adoptees to access their own information.
There has been pressure on the Government to bring in adopting tracing laws for many years.
Mr Martin said it is a priority of the Government to bring in legislation in the coming months.
“The people involved have been approached by Tusla and essentially told you’re not who you thought you were, or your parents are not who you thought they were, and you don’t know who you are now and you can’t have access to the most basic of information that any human being should have access to,” Mr Martin added.
“The priority has to be information and tracing legislation.
“The Minister for Children [Roderic O’Gorman] is working on that with the Attorney General’s office to provide comprehensive legislation which would provide access to birth information, including the birth certificate, for such individuals or for anyone who has a question in relation to their identity and, indeed, origins.”
Ms McDonald said people have a right to know who their birth parents are.
“People are entitled to to know who they are so the State needs to end the discrimination against all adopted people in accessing their personal records,” she added.
“This means introducing information and tracing legislation as soon as possible, but foremost, it means passing legislation that will give all adopted people a legal right to obtain a copy of their birth certificates.”
