The Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) witnessed a significant increase in requests for birth information and genealogical tracing under the Birth Information and Tracing Act (BITA) during its first full year of implementation in 2023, according to current data. The AAI shared in its 2023 annual report released this Monday that it processed 3,504 applications for birth information last year, effectively clearing a backlog of 1,863 applications from the previous year. Moreover, it received 410 birth tracing applications, with 79% allocated to a social worker by year’s end.
The BITA, effective from October 2022, allows individuals adopted, boarded, nursed out, or illegally registered at birth, or those who resided in a mother and baby home or county home institution during childhood, to request their birth certificates and early-life information. Among two State bodies providing these services, the AAI shares this responsibility with Tusla.
Each outfit is charged with managing applications related to specific institutions. As of January, Tusla warned that its birth information and tracing service might collapse if the department failed to mobilise increased funding to manage higher than predicted application volumes. Despite requesting an additional fund of €5.5 million from the Department of Children in the previous year’s budget allocation, no additional allowance was granted.
In January, Tusla reported over 7,200 applications for access to birth information and 5,750 tracing service requests. While approximately 89% of birth information application requests were processed, around 3,000 tracing service requests awaited allocation to a social worker. The enterprise was approached for the latest stats and to ascertain if a considerable backlog still exists as of Monday.
The Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) reported that the year 2023 marked considerable changes in increasing the permanency and stability of its organisation. This was achieved by strategic placement of new recruits and creating future resilience through investments in technology and training. A significant infusion of funds dedicated to hiring more research staff for handling birth record requests and tracing applications was critical in resolving a backlog.
Till August 6th, the AAI registered 4,821 valid birth record requests, of which 4,803 have been already processed and completed.
Reviewing the breakdown of requests, the AAI noted that 82% of the 3,000 birth info applications processed the previous year originated from Ireland, with the UK following with 10% whilst the remaining portions were from various other nations that included the US, Australia and Canada.
Enquiries within Ireland were majorly seen tracing back to Dublin (486), followed by Cork (180), Kildare (87) and Wicklow (68).
Advent of new legislation enabled all parties involved in an adoption – the birth parents, siblings or the adopted individual – to register their consent to be contacted by a family member searching for them, via the contact preference register (CPR). As dated till August 6th, 2024, there were 3,853 entries in the CPR with 367 successful matches.
At the same date, AAI reported that Tusla had forwarded a total of 842 tracing applications, of which 553 were assigned to a social worker and were being actively pursued for tracing.