Seán Power
Question:311 Mr. Power asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of foreign adoptions each year since 1990; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21462/99]
Written Answers. - Inter-Country Adoptions.
I refer the Deputy to the Adoption Board's 1998 annual report which is about to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas prior to publication. The report contains statistics in relation to foreign adoptions since 1991. There are two distinct arrangements in relation to the adoption of children from outside the State, either they are adopted in the country of origin and their adoptions recognised under the Adoption Act, 1991, in this case, the adoption is entered in the register of foreign adoptions under the Adoption Act, 1991; or alternatively, the children may be placed with the couple in the country of origin and an adoption order is made in Ireland, under either the Adoption Act, 1952 (Principal Act) or the Adoption Act, 1988.
Table 23 of the Adoption Board report, reproduced here, outlines the numbers in each of these categories for the years 1991 to 1998.
|
1991 |
1992 |
1993 |
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
1998 |
Total |
|
|
Entries in Register of Foreign Adoptions (Adoption Act 1991) |
58 |
297 |
45 |
39 |
40 |
54 |
51 |
120 |
704 |
|
Adoption Act, 1952 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
10 |
17 |
31 |
27 |
100 |
|
Adoption Act, 1988 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
10 |
|
Total |
61 |
301 |
53 |
44 |
52 |
72 |
84 |
147 |
814 |
|
per cent of Total |
7.49 |
36.98 |
6.51 |
5.41 |
6.39 |
8.85 |
10.32 |
18.06 |
100 |