The Irish Government has issued a €122,000 tender for an independent consultancy to evaluate the impact of the groundbreaking Birth Information and Tracing Act, which revolutionized access to adoption and birth records in Ireland.
The comprehensive review, mandated under the 2022 legislation, will assess how the act has performed since giving people unrestricted access to their birth records for the first time in Irish history. The evaluation process is expected to take nearly two years to complete.
The Birth Information and Tracing Act, signed into law on June 30, 2022, marked a historic shift in Ireland’s approach to adoption records and family tracing. The legislation removed previous barriers that had prevented adopted people and others from accessing their birth information.
A key component of the act was the establishment of the Contact Preference Register, which facilitates connections between adopted individuals and their birth parents when both parties are willing to make contact. This system provides a structured framework for reunifications while respecting the wishes of all involved parties.
The upcoming review represents a crucial evaluation of how effectively the legislation has addressed long-standing issues around birth record access and family reunification in Ireland. The findings will likely inform potential amendments or improvements to the current system.
The act’s implementation followed decades of advocacy from adopted people and families affected by Ireland’s historical approach to adoption records, making this review a significant milestone in assessing the real-world impact of the reformed system.