The scoping exercise into illegal birth registrations is restricted to only examining records for specific markers which might indicate illegality. Instead, records are being compared against a set list of 24 labels or "markers" which might indicate an illegal birth registration has occurred. Adoption campaigners have repeatedly said that the review would be largely cosmetic in nature if it was confined to searching for markers rather than a forensic examination of records for all forms of illegal adoption. They have also stressed that - as illegal registrations were usually carried out to circumvent adoption law - it is unlikely that adoption agencies signposted that fact using markers or labels in any systematic way. Ms Zappone will receive the report after this check has been completed.

Source: Irish Examiner April 12, 2019 14:26 UTC