THE ADOPTION AUTHORITY of Ireland has claimed that the deadlines in new legislation for adoptees to get their birth information were “too tight”, causing significant delays to the release of the details. 

Chief executive of the AAI Patricia Carey has said she understood people are “bitterly disappointed” at the delays and said her staff are making the “best endeavour to release this information”.

The waiting period for releasing the information has tripled, just weeks after the new service was launched and campaigners have criticised the lengthy delays facing people who  who were adopted, boarded out or subject to an illegal birth registration.

Over 7,000 applications from people seeking their birth and early years information, or to trace a relative, were received by the AAI and Tusla since the new service launched early last month.

But so far, the two agencies have processed fewer than 70 requests for information.

Instead of 30 days, many people now face a wait of 90 days or more through the new Birth Information and Tracing system.

Speaking to RTÉ Radio One on Morning Ireland, Carey said there was “unprecedented demand” in the weeks after the service was launched. 

“I don’t think we fully expected that level of demand – possibly we should have,” she said, adding that AAI is “struggling as all are state agencies are to recruit suitably qualified staff”.

When asked by broadcaster Áine Lawlor if it was more than just teething problems, she said: “I think the timelines are tight – possibly too tight – we can now see the 30 days were going to be trip us up at the start. The 90 days I think is reasonable.”

She said trying to process each request for birth information takes time and is “not as simple as picking up a file, copying it or PDF’ing it and sending it to someone”, with many files ranging from the 1940s to 1960s and spread across “multiple” agencies. 

Carey added that “staff are forensically” examining the requests, further stating that it “so important that we don’t miss something or incorrectly give out info”.

“I know people are bitterly disappointed,” she said.

When asked why some adoptees were reporting that their files were arriving with parts redacted, despite promises that the new system would provide a full disclosure of their birth information, Carey said there are “only two redactions” that the AAI is allowing on its requests.

One is third party information, such as where, according to Carey, efforts to trace a birth mother results in “three people found with the same name”. In this case, the AAI “will redact names of the other two” before releasing the record.

The other redaction carried out by AAI is where “genetic medical information of a relative” is included and needs to be sent to a GP either in Ireland or abroad, Carey said. 

“These files belong to these adopted people. They are not our files. We understand only too well people have waited a long time, they shouldn’t receive blank pages and they shouldn’t receive redactions.”

Carey accepted there may “quite possibly” be legal action from adoptees over the handling of requests under the new system.

“I would ask people to have a little of  patience and to see what’s released but if people are unhappy there is also an appeals mechanism  built in so people can appeal the original decision that was given.”