Sir, – Thank you for your editorial "Adoption information: the right to know' (October 17th), in which you referred to the Clann Project's recently published report Ireland's Unmarried Mothers and their Children: Gathering the Data.
It is very upsetting to see at how adopted people in other European jurisdictions are treated compared to our own. Adoptees have had access to their files in Scotland since 1930 at age 16, in England and Wales since 1975 at age 18, in Germany since 1957 at age 16, and in Austria in 1983 at age14, to mention a few. I’ve been asking for my human right to identity since 1970.
As you noted, the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2016 “is making its tortuous way through the Oireachtas”.
Everyone in Ireland knows the story of Philomena Lee and the tragedy which unfolded while mother and son searched for each other, obstructed at every turn by church and State. – Yours, etc,
JOAN REIDY,
Malahide, Co Dublin.