Gardaí are coordinating a national response to reports of illegal adoptions and forged birth registrations amid calls for an inquiry into the practices.
The force is considering the most appropriate action to take in cases where there is evidence that crimes have been committed but too much time has elapsed to allow a proper investigation, two senior sources said.
A trawl of historic complaints about illegal adoptions across all garda divisions and a review of the files is likely to be a first step.
The National Protective Services Bureau, whose remit includes child protection, is co-ordinating the gardaí s response.