Adoption

The_Conductor

Good day all-

As you may be aware, the Department of Health are planning new legislation dealing with adoption in Ireland. Hitherto no adopted people have been entitled to any information on their natural families whatsoever, regardless of their grounds for requesting such information. Today, Friday 25th July 2003, is the last day for submissions to the Department of Health on the upcoming legislation (which is due to amend the Adoption Act of 1952). I know its frowned on making requests like this one- but please send an e-mail to the following:

bernadette_fearon@health.irlgov.ie

Or:

Bernadette Fearon,
Adoption Legislation Consultation,
Dept. of Health & Children,
Hawkins House,
Hawkins Street,
Dublin 2

The body of the e-mail should contain the following, or your interpretation thereof:

"All adopted people should have access to their full adoption files and Birth Certificate, should they so desire. Any legislation which provides for anything short of this is totally unsatisfactory. Name and address"

If there are any of us here on boards who are adopted, please, please, please make a last ditch effort to make some submission. If there are any of you personally affected by adoption if you have a chance please detail you own experience.

I know that there is not much time- but it will take you all of 5 minutes to send an e-mail, and that 5 minutes could make a big difference for a lot of people.

For further information please see:

www.adoptionireland.com

or visit the Yahoo groups on:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adoptionireland/

Thankyou.

Shane McCarrick

D-!

thats disgraceful

ive sent the email and i got another 5 people to send it, hopefully something will be done about this

Sangre

What if they need medical information etc...

very bad idea.

The_Conductor

Adopted people have no automatic access to medical information- in most cases medical information was never collected from birth mothers in the first place.
Even when medical information does exist and is on file, there is a waiting list in most cases of several years to have individual requests accessed.

Please forward any feelings you have on this matter to the e-mail address above- this evening is the cut-off for submissions.

Thankyou,

Shane McCarrick

DerekD Goldfish

As the deadline has passed im too late I am adopted but have never thought about contacting my natural parents but I suppose I would like to have the oportunity to do so If I needed medical info ect.

The_Conductor

Given that it was a Friday evening- I'd say send the submission anyhow. Its as much an exercise in adopted people standing up and being counted, along with their friends and all those who are affected by adoption. This is not the first piece of adoption legislation to have been passed- there was a big bill in 1991. On that occasion the submissions and wishes of the adopted community were totally ignored by all but a few politicians.

Shane

The_Conductor

Deadline for submissions extended to 12 noon, Friday the first of August. Please make an effort if you have not already done so.

Best regards,

Shane McCarrick