Resources

Birth (Information and Tracing) Act 2022

On 3rd October 2022 a new system opened for certain affected individuals to apply for information under the Birth (Information and Tracing) Act 2022. We strongly recommend that you apply for information both via the legislation and under the General Data Protection Regulation. The Clann Project, Adoption Rights Alliance and Article Eight Advocacy have made the following resources available:

  • Clann Project/Article Eight Advocacy Interim Guide on the Birth Information and Tracing system.
    • (Please note, parts of the guide may be out of date as there have been minor changes to the operation of the system. Please see our FAQ page for updates).
  • Adopted/boarded out people can learn how to apply under the GDPR using the Adoption Rights Alliance Information Guide.
    • Please note that the Information Guide has not yet been updated to reflect the changes under the new system.
  • FAQ page on the Birth Information and Tracing system.
  • Mothers who wish to apply for information can do so under the GDPR using this template*

*Unfortunately the legislation is only open to adopted people (including illegally adopted people), boarded out people, mothers or relatives of children who died in certain institutions, or the next of kin of an adopted person who has died.

We also encourage adopted people, mothers and relatives to register with the new Contact Preference Register (CPR), which is run by the Adoption Authority of Ireland.


PEER SUPPORT

Adoption Rights Alliance runs a peer support group on Facebook with circa 2,700 members, made up of adopted people, natural parents and others affected by adoption. Everything discussed in the group is confidential, and membership is vetted to ensure that only those with a genuine connection to adoption are granted access. If you wish, you are welcome to join under a pseudonym, and if you do, please let us know in your application. The group can be accessed here.


if you gave evidence to the commission of investigation

If you gave evidence to the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes  and would like to obtain your personal data from the Commission archive, LLM candidates at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUIG and Article 8 Advocacy* have developed information and resources on making applications to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: https://datasubject.ie/mbh/ 

*The guide was written by James Conroy, Andrea Quinlan and Annmarie Townsend, LLM candidates at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland, Galway, with input from Loughlin O’Nolan and Cassie Roddy-Mullineaux of Article Eight Advocacy.


if you have applied to the department of children for your health data

If you have applied to the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for your personal data and you have received a letter telling you your Health Data can only be provided to your doctor, Simon McGarr of McGarr Solicitors has developed a sample letter in response to these refusals. See: https://www.mcgarrsolicitors.ie/2021/06/11/sample-letter-in-response-to-dept-of-children-refusal-to-provide-health-data-in-response-to-mother-and-baby-home-survivor-data-subject-access-request/


Resources for Magdalene survivors and their relatives

The main aim of Justice for Magdalenes Research (JFMR) is to provide for the advancement of education of the general public by researching the Magdalene Laundries and similar institutions and by providing information and support to the women who spent time in the Magdalene Laundries and their families.  There are a number of self-help guides available on our website and links are provided below.


RESOURCES FOR industrial and reformatory school SURVIVORS

The My Data Rights website aims to assist survivors of Irish Industrial and Reformatory Schools to use the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to access their personal information, including records of the testimony that they gave to a previous inquiry or redress process.

Click here to read the My Data Rights Information Guides on:

  • Making a Data Subject Access Request, and
  • Making a Complaint to the Data Protection Commission.

Resources relating to the commission of investigation

(Still available for information purposes only)

Click here to download our Guide to the Commission of Investigation

Click here to download a one-page version of Clann’s Ethical Protocols

Click here to download the full version of Clann’s Ethical Protocols

Click here to download the Clann Consent Form

Click here to download the Clann Information Form (still available for information purposes only)

Commission of investigation DOCUMENTs

 investigation committee
Confidential Committee

Confused about the differences between the Confidential Committee and the Investigation Committee? Please visit our Commission of Investigation FAQ page here for further information.