Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 26 Mar 1992

Vol. 417 No. 7

Written Answers. - Foreign Adoptions.

Michael Ferris

Question:

106 Mr. Ferris asked the Minister for Health the number of applicants for foreign adoptions in the Eastern Health Board area; the average waiting time for assessment and approval; the number of designated staff to deal with the requirements of the Foreign Adoptions Act, 1991; if he has had consultations with the Romanian authorities to discuss their new requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Connell)

The Eastern Health Board currently has some 90 firm applications for assessments from people wishing to adopt a child abroad.

The health board is processing these applications strictly in the order in which they were received. Each assessment should take between six and nine months to complete as the Adoption Board expects the assessment to be of an equivalent standard to that applicable for a domestic adoption. The actual timescale involved in an individual case will of course be determined by the particular circumstances of that case.

The Eastern Health Board is committed to clearing the present backlog of applications as quickly as possible. The board has this week assigned a second social worker to the task and it is currently in the process of appointing a third social worker.

I understand that the Adoption Board has been in regular communication with the Romanian authorities regarding arrangements for dealing with applications from Irish residents wishing to adopt in Romania. The board has not been notified of the introduction of new eligibility requirements for adoption there. In any event, this is entirely a matter for the Romanian authorities themselves. I shall, however, ask the board to make inquiries as to the present position in Romania for the information of people proposing to adopt there.