The Adoption Authority says: "Around 900 people register their contact preferences"

People wishing to make contact, to request privacy, or to seek or share information with a relative can make applications to the Contact Preference Register

IRELAND: Almost 900 people have applied to the new Contact Preference Register since the Birth Information and Tracing Act was signed into law last month, the Adoption Authority of Ireland has said.

The landmark legislation, which was enacted on 1 July, enables adopted people, those who were boarded out, anyone who had their birth illegally registered and people who have questions regarding their origins to access their information.

The new law also allows applications to be made to the Contact Preference Register by those wishing to make contact, to request privacy, or to seek or share information with a relative.

Of the 891 people who applied to register a contact preference, 32 people (24 adoptees and eight relatives) expressed a desire for no contact.

There were 820 persons who indicated that they preferred communication of some kind.

39 applications (30 adoptees and 9 relatives), according to the authority, were willing to exchange information but did not desire contact.

786 applications from adoptees, 90 from birth parents, and 15 from other family members have been submitted.

The statute stipulates that before applications for birth certificates and related birth information shall be considered, the Contact Preference Register must be active for a minimum of three months.

The law's information and tracing services will start operating in early October 2022.

   The Adoption Authority said the majority of applications came from Ireland, with 105 applications from those who live overseas

Applications for these services can be submitted to Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, and the Adoption Authority of Ireland.

According to the Adoption Authority, parents are encouraged to register their preferred method of communication before the information service accepts applications in October.

Only contact choices that have been entered into the register as of the time of record release are permitted. After that day, contact preferences can still be registered.

According to Patricia Carey, CEO of the Adoption Authority, "we are really heartened by the amount of people who have registered on the Contact Preference Register."

"The Birth Information and Tracing Act is a very significant piece of law for these people, who are mostly adoptees but also birth parents and other relatives.

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

Every home in Ireland is receiving a pamphlet on the services offered by the new law as part of an informational campaign about the Birth Information and Tracing Act.

In her words: "The 1.85 million booklets that have been delivered to doorsteps across the nation explain what the new legislation entails and how it operates. Before determining what to do, I would advise everybody who would be influenced by the Act to read, think about, and perhaps consult a reliable friend the information it includes."

According to the Adoption Authority, 786 of the applications came from persons in Ireland, while 105 came from people who live abroad.

The UK received the most applications outside of Ireland, with 50 people indicating contact preferences. Australia came in second with four applications, followed by the US with 17.

Dublin had the highest number of applications in July in Ireland, with 253 persons expressing their preferences. Cork came in second with 118 applications, and Meath came in third with 48. Leitrim had four applications, the least of any county.

   The oldest applicant was 81, while the youngest, aged five,had an application submitted by their adoptive parents

The youngest candidate, who was five years old, had their adoptive parents submit an application. The oldest applicant was 81.

Seventy-four percent of the 786 adoptees who registered for the Contact Preference Register want to get in touch with their birth mother.

Nearly 17% of respondents said they wanted to find their birth father, 9% said they wanted to get in touch with a sibling, and only 10% said they wanted to get in touch with a grandparent, cousin, aunt, or uncle.

Of the 105 relatives who applied, 86% want to get in touch with their child, 5% want to get in touch with their siblings, and roughly 10% want to get in touch with their grandparents, cousins, aunts, or uncles.

The majority of Irish families have at some point been affected by adoption, according to Ms. Carey.

The Adoption Authority is devoted to getting its message out to as many people as it can, letting them know that they can learn more about their ancestry and encouraging everyone who qualifies under the law to register their preferences on the Contact Preference Register.

There is also a designated website set up for persons who want to submit an application under the Act or who want more details.