The enormity of last week's launch of the National Adoption Contact Preference Register (NACPR) is only starting to sink in now. On the surface, it might not seem like much. So an independent State agency launched a new service. Big deal. It doesn't quite happen every day of the week, true, but at the same time, it's far from rare.

But on the other hand...fifteen years! Fifteen years of us asking, in essence, for a simple database that would match people who wanted to contact each other. And not just "us" doing the asking. Shortly after AdoptionIreland were formed in 1990, we were invited onto the 'Ad Hoc Group for a Contact Register', which already included well respected people such as Dr. Joe Robins, a former Secretary of the Dept. of Health and the president of Barnardos, among others. The Adoptive Parents Association of Ireland were also represented there, and had already been seeking a Register for five years!

By 1996, we had received our first "commitment", when the then Minister for Children (we love being classed as children, no, really), Austin Currie, promised legislation to set up a Contact Register. We pointed out there was no need for legislation (as proven by last week's launch).

He disagreed — then told us the legislation would have to wait till after a Supreme Court case. We pointed out that case involved fostered people, not adopted people. He delayed again.

So in 1999 we set up our own register. No advertising budget whatsoever, but six years later we have 6,000 registrations and dozens of matches.

Over the years, we've dealt with Eithne Fitzgerald (did nothing), Brendan Howlin (did nothing), Austin Currie (kicked to touch), Frank Fahy (did nothing), and my personal favourite, Mary Hanafin (proposed a law meaning I would need my adoptive parents' permission to get my Birth Certificate and which would throw me in jail for attempting to trace).

And finally, Brian Lenihan, who looked at the issue and basically said "Where's the problem?!" He established a management team at the Adoption Board (they've never had one in over 50 years), held a genuine consultation where all sides were listened to, threw out Hanafin's proposals and got funding not only for the Board's Register, but for post-adoption services generally. The Register is only the start — there's also a National Adoption Information and Tracing Service on the way. Plus, legislation to finally ratify the Hague Convention, containing provisions that the Board must include an adopted person and natural parent in its membership (where they will join the adoptive parents already there).

The new management team at the Board have been very effective so far. For the Register, they involved end users from the start and all along the way. Other countries have State-run registers. None has ever been publicised properly. The result, as in the case of Scotland's state register, for example, is around a 1-in-15 success rate. The Irish one, on the other hand, has a media campaign and a leaflet drop to every household in the country, with service users groups being funded to provide help and support for anyone who wants it.

This is also the only Register we know of that isn't either a Contact Veto register (i.e., you put your name on it if you don't want to be contacted!) or a simple Contact Register (which puts people directly in touch). The 'Preference' bit means you can express the level of contact you want initially and hey, if you don't want contact but are willing to pass on medical or background information, that's fine too. And yes, I'm a little bit proud of the fact that the idea of a Contact Preference Register, as opposed to just a Contact Register, came from AdoptionIreland.

It was, however, fifteen years in coming. We are under no illusion that it would not have arrived at all, except for the tireless voluntary work put in by AdoptionIreland and other organisations. Sincere thanks are due especially to AdoptionLoss/NPNI, BAAF, Barnardos, Bastard Nation and Know My Own for their help and support.

I'd also like to thank our current and former committee members for all their work over the years. Everything that has been achieved thus far has been due to the volunteer work they put in during their free time.

They are (and apologies to anyone we've accidentally omitted!):

Adrian McKenna
Aedamar Gillespie
Alan O'Flynn
Angela Murphy
The late Angela Roche, RIP
Ann Coleman
Ann McEwan
Anne-Marie O'Hanlon
Bernadette Barrington
Bernie Hogan
Bernie Joyce
Claire McGettrick
Claire Shiels
Deirdre Hogan
Finola Bolger
Geraldine Gallagher
Jackie Hogan
Jim Jackman
Joan Finn
Karen Grattan
Kathryn Cooney
Kevin Cooney
Mari Steed
Marie Hardiman
Marie O'Gorman
Patricia Murray
Paul Bolger
Susan Lohan

I'd especially like to thank Enda Pyne, who has also, with me, been there from the very first committee meeting, back in 1990!

The current committee are more committed than ever to seeing the remaining post-adoption State services slot into place — and to seeing our basic human rights enshrined into law. We're confident it won't take another fifteen years!