Sir, - Campaigning vigorously for the past ten years for the establishment of a national contact register, the Adoptive Parents Association of Ireland has lost count of the promises made by various ministers down the years. Their good intentions are assured but their hands are always tied! Right now we have the excuse that "they" must wait for the result of a constitutional challenge in the High Court! Constitutional change may well be necessary to enable certain information to be made available, but all that is required for the establishment of a properly run contact register is goodwill, with the State finally taking responsibility for adoption matters, instead of forever passing the buck to someone else.
It is important to remember that today's standards were not yesterday's. It is difficult for many people to comprehend that there was a very real - and often justified - fear in the minds of many women who gave birth outside marriage, that the family would find out, and they would be banished or rendered unmarriageable. To protect their good name and their marriage chances, some women gave assumed names, with the child being registered under that surname. We would hope that these women would contact the adoption societies with the correct information so that their files can be amended. The singling out of one adoption society and the demonising of one individual is grossly unfair. Every single agency, both religious and state run, would have false information in some of their files.
We hope that a properly run contact register will empower the birth mothers and the adopted people to exchange the information they need without jeopardising anyone's peace of mind. By providing appropriate counselling services to the birth mothers, those who are still afraid of revealing their past may find reassurance in corresponding through a third party, and meeting on neutral ground, rather than having someone land on their doorstep. - Yours, etc.
Adoptive Parents Association of Ireland,
Annamore,
Co Wicklow,
Hon. Sec.
PRO APAI,
Dunboyne,
Co Meath.