Vol. 491 No. 6
182 Mr. Barrett asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps, if any, he will take to reduce the time it takes the Eastern Health Board to assess the suitability of applicants to adopt abroad in view of the fact that it takes in excess of 18 months under the current system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12893/98]
The Adoption Act, 1991, imposed a statutory duty on health boards to carry out, as soon as practicable, assessments for foreign adoptions. In carrying out this function, the boards must have regard to the competing demands in other areas of the child care services, particularly in relation to the protection of children from abuse and neglect, which takes priority over all other work.
I am aware that there are different timescales for the completion of the assessment process in the different health boards. This difference arises principally from the greater volume of applications in some areas, particularly in the Eastern Health Board. I met senior management of the Eastern Health Board last year to discuss delays in carrying out assessments of couples who wished to adopt children from abroad and had a further meeting with the board last month at which the issue was also discussed.
As I have previously informed the House, arising from the additional funding approved to the Eastern Health Board for child care services in 1998, the board has proposed, in its 1998 Service Plan, the appointment of three new social workers to its adoption service; 2.5 of these posts have so far been filled. This will facilitate a speedier assessment of couples who wish to adopt children abroad.
I understand that the current time prior to assessment in the Eastern Health Board is 12 months: a reduction of two months on 1997. This reduction can be accounted for by the allocation of additional resources and to greater efficiencies in the overall process of application.
