Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 7 Oct 1999

Vol. 508 No. 5

Written Answers. - Inter-country Adoptions.

John McGuinness

Question:

90 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health and Children if his Department will consider the licensing of private agencies to carry out assessments in relation to inter-country adoptions in view of the unacceptable waiting times being experienced by applicants; if he will ensure that the measures to be adopted under the Hague Convention will not severely restrict the number of countries from which Irish couples may adopt children and will recognise the many agencies which now assist couples to complete adoptions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19412/99]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Mr. Fahey)

: As I outlined in the Dáil last week, last November I commissioned an independent consultancy to review the foreign adoption assessment procedures in the eight health boards with the aim of ensuring that an efficient and standardised assessment procedure which accords with best practice in the field operates across the country while at the same time having regard to the priority that must be attached to other areas of the child care services. The Government approved the publication of the report "Towards a Standardised Framework for Inter-country Adoption Assessment Procedures" in July of this year. The Government also approved the establishment of an implementation group to prioritise, plan and cost the phased implementation of the report's recommendations within a six month period and provided for additional funding of £500,000 in 1999 to enable work to commence on implementation of the report's recommendations. The additional funding has been allocated to health boards on the basis of the waiting list for inter-country adoption assessment in December 1998. Funding provided to the boards has been specifically earmarked for the improvement of the assessment process. The implementation group has been established and has begun its work. The first priority identified by the group is the promulgation of the "standardised framework" as recommended in the report which will help to achieve a consistent and equitable service countrywide.

A Bill to ratify the Hague Convention on inter-country adoption is currently being prepared in my Department. A consultation process was held by my officials in November and early December last with a range of organisations and interest groups. Both the outcome of the consultation and the relevant recommendations of the report "Towards a Standardised Framework of Inter-country Adoption Assessment" have formed part of the deliberations regarding the incorporation of the convention into Irish law. Ratification of the convention will involve major and fundamental amendment of our inter-country adoption laws. At present, our inter-country adoption laws deal mainly with the approval of suitable prospective adopters and the recognition of foreign adoptions. Among the items which the convention Bill will have to make provision for are: the designation of a central authority with overall responsibility for inter-country adoption; the accreditation of competent bodies, for example, adoption agencies to undertake certain tasks in relation to arrangements for the inter-country adoption of children; and automatic recognition of adoptions made under the convention.

The approach to adoptions from non-convention countries is still under consideration in the Department. It is not the intention to exclude any countries with which we already have agreements or working arrangements in place which uphold the spirit and principles of the convention. However, the primary objectives of the convention are to provide safeguards to prevent the abduction or the sale of children and to establish a system of co-operation amongst countries in order to ensure that inter-country adoptions take place in the best interests of the children concerned. Therefore, a child-centred approach incorporating structures and procedures which accord with good practice in inter-country adoption is being taken to the preparation of the legislation.