Fitzgerald performs U-turn on adoption tracing rights

Retrospective information and tracing rights are to be offered in the upcoming Adoption Bill, in a significant U-turn by Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald.

The move has been broadly welcomed by groups representing adopted people, who had feared that tracing and information rights were only to be offered in relation to future adoptions.

Ms Fitzgerald seemed to confirm these fears last year in a radio interview with Pat Kenny, when she said such rights could only be offered going forward.