I propose to take Questions Nos. 29 and 31 together.
Immediately after the Adoption Act, 1988, was enacted, my Department supplied health boards with copies of the Act, copies of the Supreme Court judgment in relation to the constitutionality of the Act and other explanatory material.
I am satisfied that health boards are fully conversant with their responsibilities under the new legislation and are taking the necessary steps to bring before the Adoption Board and the High Court the cases of children in care who may have become eligible for adoption by virtue of the passage of the 1988 Act.
With regard to the statistical information sought by the Deputy, the position is that as of Friday, 5 May, the Adoption Board had received 16 applications for adoption pursuant to section 2 of the Adoption Act, 1988. In addition, in the light of the new legislation, the board have reactivated five applications on which they had earlier adjourned a decision.
Up to the same date, no applications had been made to the High Court by any health board for an order under section 3 of the Adoption Act, 1988. However, I understand that three applications are about to be made by the North-Eastern Health Board and a further application is pending from the Western Health Board.