Adoption Act, 1952

Adopted children register.

22.—(1) An tArd-Chláraitheoir shall maintain an Adopted Children Register.

(2) An entry shall be made in the register with respect to each adopted child. The entry shall be in the form set out in the Second Schedule and contain the particulars required by the form.

(3) If the date of the child's birth is unknown, the Board shall determine the probable date of birth and that date shall be entered as the child's date of birth.

(4) The country of birth of the child shall be entered in the register if the Board, being satisfied thereof, so directs.

(5) An tArd-Chláraitheoir shall keep an index to make traceable the connexion between each entry and the corresponding entry in the register of births. That index shall not be open to public inspection; and no information from it shall be given to any person except by order of a Court or of the Board.

(6) If an adoption order is amended the entry relating to it shall be amended accordingly.

(7) If an adoption order is set aside the entry shall be cancelled.

(8) The Board shall send to an tArd-Chláraitheoir the particulars necessary to enable him to comply with this section.

(9) An tArd-Chláraitheoir shall keep at his office an index to the register; and persons shall be entitled to search that index and to have a certified copy of an entry in the register or of items contained in the entry on the same terms and conditions in all respects as to fees and otherwise as are applicable under the Births and Deaths Registration Acts, 1863 to 1952, or any other enactment in respect of the register of births; and such fees shall be collected and disposed of in the same manner as fees payable under the said recited Acts.

(10) Regulations under section 6 of the Vital Statistics and Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act, 1952 (No. 8 of 1952), (which relates to the issue of abridged certificates) may provide for the issue, as respects any entry in the Adopted Children Register, of a certificate of such items contained in the entry as may be specified in the regulations.

(11) A certified copy of an entry in the Adopted Children Register, if purporting to be issued under the seal of Oifig an Ard-Chláraitheora, shall, without further proof, be received as evidence of the facts stated therein and any requirement of law for the production of a certificate of birth shall be satisfied by the production of such certified copy.