‘Audit would show scale of forced and illegal adoptions’

Adopted people have hit out at claims by Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald that every adoption carried out by the State was done in line with the law.

Speaking in the Dáil in November, Ms Fitzgerald said the Australian state apology on forced adoption was due to government policies at the time in that country, before categorically stating that every adoption carried out by the Irish State has been legal.

“All adoptions which the Irish State has been involved in since 1952 have been in line with this [Adoption Act 1952] and subsequent adoption legislation,” she said.