Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 May 1993

Vol. 431 No. 3

Written Answers. - Foreign Adoptions.

Alan Shatter

Question:

194 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health the number of couples and individuals who have applied to each health board for assessments for foreign adoption under the Adoption Act, 1991; the number of completed assessments that have been forwarded to the Adoption Board by each health board; the number of couples and individuals still waiting to commence assessments by each health board; the number in each health board area currently being assessed; the expected waiting time for a couple applying for an assessment from the date when they apply until the commencement of the assessment; and the number of social workers in each health board area allocated to deal with assessements for foreign adoptions.

Minister for Health (Mr. Howlin)

The information requested by the Deputy is not collected by my Department as a matter of routine. I have arranged for the information to be obtained from the health boards and I shall forward it to the Deputy as soon as possible.

Statistics on the numbers of children in respect of whom the domiciliary care allowance is payable who have also been granted a medical card are not readily available. The collection of such information would require a review of all medical card and domiciliary care allowance records and this could not be justified on cost grounds.