Vol. 478 No. 7
15 Ms O'Donnell asked the Minister for Health if he will give details of his Department's stance and current refusal to recognise International Orphan Aid, which provides assistance to an orphanage in China and support to Irish couples seeking to adopt Chinese children, as an official body for the purposes of transmitting applications for adoption to the Chinese authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12123/97]
90 Mr. S. Brennan asked the Minister for Health if his Department has refused to recognise International Orphan Aid as an official body for the purposes of transmitting applications for adoption to the Chinese authorities, as reported in a national newspaper recently; the reason for this refusal; the plans, if any, he has to address the very real concerns of the people affected by this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12200/97]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 15 and 90 together.
It is a requirement of the Chinese adoption authorities that applications for the adoption of Chinese children be transmitted by a relevant governmental organisation or by a recognised non-governmental organisation. The Adoption Board is already undertaking the task of transmitting documents on behalf of prospective adopters to the China Centre for Adoption Affairs in Beijing.The relevant Chinese authorities have been informed accordingly.
On 21 April I wrote to International Orphan Aid informing them that I was prepared to agree to that organisation also transmitting applications for adoption from China to the Chinese authorities.This approval is granted on the strict understanding that only applications from persons who have been approved by the Adoption Board for a foreign adoption in accordance with the requirements of the Adoption Act, 1991, will be forwarded to China and that International Orphan Aid will comply fully with the requirements of the Chinese authorities.
I am at present making arrangements through the offices of the Department of Foreign Affairs for the Chinese authorities to be informed accordingly. However, the final decision with regard to the approval of International Orphan Aid for the purposes of transmitting documents to China is one for the Chinese authorities.
The role of the Adoption Board as regards the transmission of documentation to China will remain as before and it will be open to prospective adopters to decide whether they wish to have their documents transmitted to China by the Adoption Board or by International Orphan Aid.
