The Adoption Authority of Ireland granted 20 adoption orders remotely via Zoom during Covid-19 restrictions, as it continued to provide its adoption services.
Chief Executive Patricia Carey said she is "proud of our achievement as a public service body" in serving all members of the adoption community and facilitating remote adoption hearings during the coronavirus restrictions.
She said families were delighted to know their children would not miss out on the opportunity to be adopted when the travel restrictions were in place.
The authority has published its annual report, which showed 79 domestic adoption orders were granted in 2019. Most of these were to step-parent applicants.