asked the Minister for Justice the number of adoption orders made by the Adoption Board in favour of married couples who are parties to a mixed marriage in each of the years 1975 to 1981, inclusive; whether he is aware that couples to such marriages are finding it particularly difficult to adopt; and the steps he intends to take to deal with this problem.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Adoption Order.
25.
In accordance with section 4 of the Adoption Act, 1974, an adoption order cannot be made unless the applicants and the child and its parents, or if it is illegitimate, its mother are all of the same religion, unless every person whose consent to the making of the order is required knows the religion (if any) of each of the applicants when he gives his consent.
I understand from the board that the only relevant statistics that are readily available are those of cases where one of the adopters was a Catholic and the other was not. That that is so is attributable to the fact that the law in the matter was different up to the coming into force of the 1974 Act and recording practices had become established by then. The figures are as follows: 1975, 16; 1976, 13; 1977, 23; 1978, 18; 1979, 16; 1980, 19; 1981, 28. Adoption is paramountly a service for the children concerned and I have no reason to believe that a further change in the law with a view to encouraging adoption by couples of different religions is needed in the interests of children. With the exception of some children who may have special problems — and for whom such a change will not be likely to be of assistance — there is no difficulty in finding suitable adopters.
Would the Minister accept that there is particular concern by couples of mixed marriages who are finding it difficult to adopt due to the fact that the majority of adoption societies are denominationally based and some of them will not place children with couples of mixed marriages? Would the Minister ask the Adoption Board in future reports to provide statistics of this nature? Between 1975 and 1977 they gave those statistics and for no apparent reason excluded them from their reports since then. In the light of what I have said would the Minister make contact with each of the adoption societies who are registered and request them to apply properly the provisions of the 1974 Act in relation to applications for adoption by couples of mixed religion?
It is probably true to say that societies tend to place children where the couples are of the same religion. I will take the views expressed into consideration. I might add, as the Deputy probably knows, that it is proposed to transfer the adoption responsibilities from the Department of Justice to the Department of Health.
Under the Adoption Acts the Minister has that statutory responsibility. When will formal legislation come before the House to transfer that responsibility? Is it intended that such legislation will reform other areas of adoption law? At what stage will the Minister for Health assume directly the responsibilities which the Minister for Justice at present has?
The necessary arrangements are being made for the transfer of the adoption responsibilities to the Department of Health. The other matters should be answered by a separate question.
Would the Minister confirm that there are more parents seeking to adopt children than there are children available and that there are no children being left unadopted?
I agree that there is a considerable number of suitable adopters.