Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD has said that legislation must be urgently passed to ensure that all adopted people have the right to access their birth certificates and personal information. She said that information and tracing legislation should be introduced as soon as possible.

Raising the scandal of illegal adoptions with Taoiseach Micheál Martin today in the Dáil, following the news that the Department of Children has now confirmed at least 151 illegal adoptions at the St Patrick Guild Adoption Society, Ms McDonald called for an investigation into the entire adoption system.

Teachta McDonald said:

“This St Patrick’s audit is only the tip of the iceberg. It is widely considered that thousands of children were illegally adopted, some trafficked to America and elsewhere, and that hundreds of institutions across the state were involved in this practice. 

“Indeed it is being reported that the government review – already underway – has found evidence of illegal adoptions in multiple organisations. We need a transparent, inclusive investigation that captures the full extent of this scandal and Ireland’s adoption system as a whole.”

Teachta McDonald that central to uncovering the truth is enacting legislation that will help all adopted people get the truth and begin the process of ending the state’s discrimination of all adopted people accessing their personal records.

“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 certificate.

“Sinn Féin’s Kathleen Funchion has published this legislation. The Bill will be brought before the Dáil next week. The government should support it.”