Adopted seeking parents not criminal

ADOPTED people who attempt to contact their birth parents against their wishes, will not face criminal action under new legislation.

Junior minister for children Brian Lenihan, who wants to modernise cumbersome and out-of-date adoption laws, has decided that the new legislation will not contain criminal sanctions for any breach of a contact veto.

The minister became more convinced that adoption legislation should be kept outside the province of criminal law, after reading around 300 submissions as part of a consultation process he initiated earlier this year.

He had invited the views of interested parties on the existing proposals for adoption information, and post-adoption contact, and on legislative proposals to ratify the 1993 Hague Convention.

One of the key issues being addressed is that of access to records, and making contact with birth parents or children.

Over the summer he followed the controversy regarding the issue of sanctions for breaching a contact veto, and agreed with the overwhelming view that there should be no criminal sanction in any further legislation.

Mr Lenihan is due to host a second day of oral consultation on adoption in Dublin today, which will be devoted to discussing what information should be available to adopted people, birth parents, and others affected by adoption.

“Many of these issues are very sensitive, and I welcome the opportunity to get as many responses as possible from people who have experience of how these measures will impact on their lives,” he said.

Anton Sweeney of the Adopted Peoples' Association, which has 42,000 members, said the exclusion of criminal sanctions was only one of a number of issues that they had raised with Minister Lenihan.

he association has asked for full access to adoption files, automatic access to birth certificates, and the removal of adoption agencies from the process.

The consultation facilitators will draw up a document outlining the points made by all of the interested parties involved.

There will be an opportunity for further feedback when their document is published, and the minister will meet with groups who wish to speak with him again.