Law would criminalise adopted people seeking their natural parents

THE number of people who expressed abhorrence at the possibility of somebody becoming a criminal simply because they want to trace their parents surprised me during the past fortnight.

It surprised me because they are not adopted, and nor are they adoptive parents themselves. They were, quite simply, absolutely angry at the thought that an Irish government would even contemplate the introduction of such a reprehensible law.

Under legislation being considered by Brian Lenihan, Minister of State for Children's Affairs, there is the real possibility that people who were adopted and now want to find out who their mother was, could find themselves branded as criminals.