asked the Minister for Health the number of children that have been placed for adoption by each health board in each of the last ten years; the number of adoption orders made in each of the last ten years pursuant to an adoption placement made by a health board; the number of applicants for adoption at present on the books of each health board at this date awaiting the placement of a child for adoption; the number of children at present in the care of each of the health boards in the State that are available for adoption and who have not been placed for adoption; and the ages of each child.
Written Answers . - Adoption Statistics .
837.
: The information requested by the Deputy is shown in the tables hereunder in so far as such is available.
It is not possible to readily ascertain the exact figure from available statistics as to the number of placements made by health boards over each of the past ten years.
TABLE I
Orders made pursuant to Health Board Placements
|
Year |
No. of Orders |
|
1972 |
10 |
|
1973 |
81 |
|
1974 |
102 |
|
1975 |
123 |
|
1976 |
91 |
|
1977 |
79 |
|
1978 |
52 |
|
1979 |
42 |
|
1980 |
77 |
|
1981 |
80 |
|
Total |
737 |
Table II
The total number of applicants for adoption at present in each health board and the total number of children at present in the care of the health boards who are available for adoption and who have not yet been placed for adoption.
|
Health Board |
No. of Applicants |
No. of children in care who are available for Adoption |
|
Eastern |
141 |
6 |
|
Midland |
3 |
15 |
|
Mid-Western |
21 |
46 |
|
North-Eastern |
0 |
1 |
|
North-Western |
0 |
6 |
|
South-Eastern |
16 |
3 |
|
Southern |
35 |
15 |
|
Western |
4 |
9 |
|
Total |
220 |
101 |
Table III
Ages of children at present in the care of each health board who are available for adoption and who have not yet been placed for adoption.
|
Health Board |
0-3 months |
4-6 months |
3-12 months |
1-2 years |
3-5 years |
6-10 years |
11-15 years |
16-20 years |
|
Eastern |
1 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
||||
|
Midland |
2 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
|
|
Mid-Western |
1 |
5 |
10 |
13 |
11 |
6 |
||
|
North-Eastern |
1 |
|||||||
|
North-Western |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
||||
|
South-Eastern |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|||||
|
Southern |
12 |
3 |
||||||
|
Western |
5 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
||||
|
Total |
22 |
6 |
4 |
9 |
18 |
17 |
17 |
8 |
838.
asked the Minister for Health the number of applications that have been made to the courts to dispense with the consent of a natural mother to the making of an adoption order under section 3 of the Adoption Act, 1974, in each year since it came into force; and the number of such applications that have been: (a) granted in the High Court; (b) refused in the High Court; (c) granted on appeal by the Supreme Court; (d) refused on appeal by the Supreme Court; and (e) the number of cases pending before both the High Court and the Supreme Court.
: The information requested by the Deputy is shown in the table hereunder.
|
Year |
No. of applications to dispense with consent of mother under Section 3 of the Adoption Act, 1974 |
Number of such applications that have been |
|||
|
(a)granted in High Court |
(b)refused in High Court |
(c)granted on appeal by the Supreme Court |
(d)refused on appeal by the Supreme Court |
||
|
1975 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
1976 |
1 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
1977 |
2 |
2 |
— |
— |
— |
|
1978 |
2 |
— |
— |
— |
— |
|
1979 |
— |
1 |
— |
— |
— |
|
1980 |
5 |
3 |
— |
— |
— |
|
1981 |
14 |
11 |
— |
2 |
— |
|
1982 |
3 |
2 |
— |
— |
— |
|
1983 |
5 |
2 |
— |
— |
— |
|
Total |
32 |
21 |
— |
2 |
— |
(e) There are five cases at present pending before the High Court and one case pending before the Supreme Court.