‘No plans’ to inspect all adoption files

The Adoption Authority has said it has “no plans” to inspect all the files held by accredited adoption agencies, despite evidence that some have arranged illegal adoptions.

Frances Fitzgerald, the children’s minister, said the HSE has not carried out a review of the adoption files it holds. This is despite the body previously admitting that some agencies held files containing evidence of illegal birth registrations.

Numerous cases of illegality have come to the attention of this newspaper since 2010 and adoption groups believe the total could run into thousands.