Surge in demand for adoption tracing leads to backlog of cases

Just three social workers, two of them part-time, have been allocated to operate a new service aimed at assisting some of the 47,000 adoptees over the last 50 years who may seek to trace their birth parents, the Adoption Authority confirmed yesterday.

Mr John Collins, chief executive officer of the new agency, which is to officially replace the Adoption Board later this year, admitted that a backlog of cases had formed because of an upsurge in demand for information and tracing services.

While he welcomed an increase in staff, from a base of just one part-time social worker, he said: "We will be looking for more resources from the Government."

He was speaking at the publication yesterday of a new four-year corporate plan for the new Adoption Authority, which will oversee all aspects of adoption practice in Ireland, including tracing services and inter-country adoptions.

Introducing the document, the Minister of State for children, Mr Brian Lenihan, defended the extent to which the new agency has been resourced, saying he had approved a once-off €100,000 grant this year to get its tracing unit off the ground.

"Of course, a case will be made for resources in the future. But I'd like to make the point that resources have already been allocated. Up to last year the Adoption Board did not have a chief executive officer," Mr Lenihan said.

He intended to publish legislation later this year establishing the authority on a statutory basis with enhanced powers.

On tracing, he said the new law would strike a balance between protecting the privacy of those who did not wish to be contacted and "the right of an adopted person to gain information about their origins".

He said: "Many of the 47,000 have traced their natural parents and made contact. Some don't wish to make contact."

His comments follow complaints from a number of adoptees about delays in having their cases investigated.

Mr Collins said the "nucleus" of an information and tracing unit had now been established, and waiting times had been reduced from two years to six months.