Adoption and Search in Ireland
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE Take a Tour: Celebrate your Irish heritage and take a virtual holiday tour of the
St. Patrick's Day Celebration in Dublin and the rest of the Emerald Isle!
Legal Reform: In Ireland, as in many other countries around the world, adoption laws are being challenged and changed. The report of the Law Reform Committee of the Law Society of Ireland,
Adoption Law: The Case for Reform, covers issues across the spectrum of adoption practices and procedures, including access to records and post-adoption contact, adoption procedures, post-adoption services, and more.
ADOPTING IN IRELAND Note: According to
current regulations, the adoption of Irish children by U.S. citizens is rare, and while adoptive parents can hold another nationality, their primary residence for at least one year, must be in Ireland.
- All Irish adoptions must be handled through a licensed Adoption Society or Home, and only recently has the country begun to open its doors to the adoption of children from other countries.
- The Adoption Board is the official regulatory agency for all adoptions.
- Placing parents must be made aware of any difference in the religious affiliation of adopting parents from their own prior to consent.
Benefits for Adoptive Parents: Adoptive parents in Ireland are covered by the European Union's
parental leave policies, which allow a minimum of three months' leave for either working mothers or fathers on the occasion of adoption in order to care for their child. Additionally, employed or self-employed adoptive parents are entitled to benefit payments to support them during this leave.
SEARCH IN IRELAND The official position of the Irish Adoption Board can be found in their
Search and Reunion Statement. (This is in .pdf format and requires an Adobe Arobat Reader.
Free Reader Download)
The two best places for those adopted in Ireland to begin searching are the
Adopted Peoples Association (APA) and Mari Steed's
Searching in Ireland.
The APA is primarily concerned with advocating for legislative change, however the site offers suggestions, sample letters, and resources for information. The APA is also the home of the
Irish Adoption Contact Register. This free mutual consent registry is open to all those searching for persons connected with Irish adoptions.
Mari Steed is a reunited adoptee, and her site is a comprehensive resources and repository for all types of search information, including where to write for information, and contact information for members of Ireland's Parliament. Be sure to read her wonderful search and reunion story,
"And Then A Miracle Happens.
Finding Records Online sources for various types of records helpful to searchers are:
Genealogy Sites Irish genealogy sites abound, and many contain specific advice and resources for adoption-related searches. A few to get you started:
Other Search Tools Ireland-based search tools include:
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