International Adoption in Ireland

Changing times: majority of domestic adoptions now sought by step-parents
Monday March 19 2012


There were 39 orders made for adoption of Irish children in this country last year but very few involved birth mothers giving their baby up for adoption.

Few Irish women give their babies up for adoption any more, which leads to couples going abroad in their thousands to countries like Russia and China in the last decade to adopt a child.

Of the 39 domestic adoptions, a figure which was released by Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald, she pointed out a "very small number" involved children placed for adoption in the traditional sense.

The rest would have involved a step-parent making an application to adopt the child of their spouse. This is an increasing feature in modern Ireland as couples divorce and remarry.

Other orders made here for domestic adoption last year involved the adoption of children in long-term foster care by their foster parents.

This must involve the consent of the child's birth mother or the obtaining of a High Court order showing the child has been "abandoned" by the parent.

Other domestic adoptions can involve a relative, such as a grandparent, uncle or aunt adopting a child.

Some of the 47 applications made last year are still being processed so the eventual number is likely to be higher.

In 2010 there were 153 applications received and 189 orders made for domestic adoptions, the Minister added.

Meanwhile, an audit carried out by the Adoption Authority in 2010 has found no official files exist for 99 people who were adopted.

Around 50pc of these relate to so called adoptions prior to the introduction of regulation of adoption in 1952.

The Authority only holds records since this date.

Legislation is planned to allow the Authority to access records currently held by a wide range of information services.