Vol. 448 No. 3
63 Kathleen Lynch asked the Minister for Health whether he will amend the current regulations to allow mothers who give a child up for adoption to trace their adult child under the same conditions and restrictions as currently apply to adult children seeking to trace their natural parents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2161/95]
64 Kathleen Lynch asked the Minister for Health the plans, if any, he has to bring forward consolidated adoption legislation with a view to addressing the current anomalies in adoption practice; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2163/95]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 64 together.
My immediate priority in the area of adoption is to address the issues raised in the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Keegan v. Ireland. This involves the introduction of amending legislation to give fathers of children born outside marriage a greater say in the adoption process.
When this urgent task has been completed, attention will then turn to the implementation of the two specific commitments relating to adoption that are contained in the health strategy. This will necessitate the preparation of further legislation to provide arrangements to facilitate contact between adopted persons and their birth parents, and to enable the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption to be ratified here.
In relation to birth mothers wishing to re-establish contact with children whom they gave up for adoption, I am not aware that they are currently treated any differently from adopted persons seeking to contact their birth parents. My understanding of the position is that an adoption agency will arrange contact between parties to an adoption where both parties desire it. I do appreciate, however, that there may be variations in practice among the different agencies involved in post-adoption tracing work and it would be my intention, when putting in place formal arrangements, to devise a standardised procedure which is equitable and has due regard to the rights of the respective parties.
