Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 5 Jun 1996

Vol. 466 No. 4

Written Answers. - Foreign Adoptions.

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn

Question:

113 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Health the number of countries worldwide with which the Irish Adoption Board has established an official adoption system; the number of adoptions which have been successful under the agreement in respect of each country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11554/96]

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn

Question:

114 Mrs. Geoghegan-Quinn asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the difficulties that have arisen regarding Romanian adoptions by Irish persons; if he will ensure that the Irish Adoption Board co-operates with Irish parents who wish to adopt Romanian children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11556/96]

Minister of State at the Department of Health (Mr. Currie)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 114 together.

On 30 June, 1994, the text of an adoption agreement between the Minister for Health and the Romanian Committee for Adoptions was approved by Dáil Éireann. The agreement was then signed in Bucharest on 7 July, 1994.

The agreement sets out the procedures for the adoption of Romanian children by Irish residents. Under its terms, only applications from persons whose suitability and eligibility to adopt has been determined by the Adoption Board in accordance with the provisions of the Adoption Act, 1991, are to be considered by the Romanian Committee for Adoptions. That Committee has responsibility for selecting the child to be adopted.

When the agreement was being negotiated, the Romanian Committee indicated that for administrative reasons it would only be in a position to process five applications at a time from any one country. The first five applications from Irish residents wishing to adopt in Romania were duly forwarded to the Romanian Committee by the Adoption Board. These applications have not been processed by the Romanian Committee in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

Since the agreement was signed, it has emerged that a number of Romanian children have been adopted by Irish residents outside the terms of the agreement. The Adoption Board is aware that at least 22 such adoptions have been effected.

In the light of this development, we have been endeavouring to establish the precise arrangements for processing adoption applications involving Irish residents. There are ongoing contacts with the Romanian Committee with a view to clarifying the position and the current status of the agreement itself.

Romania is the only country with which an adoption agreement has been signed to date. The possibility of negotiating similar accords with Peru, Ecuador and the People's Republic of China is currently being explored. In view of the intergovernmental nature of such agreements, my Department has the lead role in negotiating them, in consultation with the Department of Foreign Affairs. The role of the Adoption Board would relate to the actual operation of the agreement on behalf of the Minister for Health, as in the case of the agreement with Romania.