Thomas P. Broughan
Question:520 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Health and Children the numbers of staff employed exclusively to deal with adoption search and reunion services in the adoption board and in each of the health boards. [24384/00]
Written Answers. - Training and Reunion Services.
Thomas P. Broughan
Question:521 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will give a full breakdown of the numbers seeking adoption search and reunion services from the adoption board, health boards and the private adoption agencies; the average waiting times for such services; the initiatives undertaken by the current administration since coming to office to date to reduce such waiting lists and improve services. [24385/00]
Thomas P. Broughan
Question:522 Mr. Broughan asked the Minister for Health and Children when the Adoption Information Bill will be published. [24386/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 520 to 522, inclusive, together.
My Department issued a questionnaire on tracing and reunion services to health boards in the spring of this year. Based on the information returned, it is estimated that in the year 1999 there were more than 100 social workers involved, to varying degrees, in the provision of tracing and reunion services in the health boards. Social workers in the health boards do not work exclusively on tracing and reunion. The tracing and reunion service is usually encompassed within their overall caseload which may include, for example, domestic and intercountry adoption, fostering and in some cases child protection work. In terms of whole time equivalent posts it is estimated that approximately ten social workers were engaged in this work in the health boards. The breakdown is outlined in Table 1 below:
Table 1 – Social workers involved in tracing and reunion in the health boards during 1999
|
Health Board/Authority |
Number of social workers involved in tracing and reunion |
Whole time equivalent social work posts involved in tracing and reunion |
|
Eastern Regional Health Authority |
76 |
2.83 |
|
Midland Health Board |
6 |
.6 |
|
Mid-Western Health Board |
2 |
.5 |
|
North Eastern Health Board |
5 |
2.1 |
|
North Western Health Board* |
N/A |
N/A |
|
South Eastern Health Board |
4 |
.75 |
|
Southern Health Board |
6 |
2.1 |
|
Western Health Board |
3.5 |
1.79 |
|
Total |
102.5 |
10.67 |
* The NWHB sub-contracts its tracing work to the voluntary adoption agencies in its functional area
In the Adoption Board there is currently one whole time equivalent post, two part-time posts, dedicated exclusively to tracing and reunion. A further six social workers and a senior worker also carry a tracing caseload along with their other duties.
The number of tracing and reunion requests received by the health boards, the registered adoption agencies and the Adoption Board and the waiting time for commencement of case is outlined in Table 2 below. Of the tracing and reunion requests received by health boards and registered adoption societies last year over 60 per cent were received by the registered adoption societies and health boards received approximately 40 per cent. The Deputy should note that there is an overlap between the number of tracing and reunion requests received by the health boards-registered adoption agencies and the Adoption Board because requests received by the Adoption Board are referred to the relevant health board/registered adoption agency except in cases where there was no agency involved in the adoption. In addition, it is often necessary for the Adoption Board and the health boards-registered adoption agencies to share information to complete a trace which means that both are making a contribution to the tracing and reunion request.
Table 2 – Tracing and Reunion Service for 1999
|
Agency |
Number of tracing requests received during 1999 |
Waiting time for commencement of case |
|
Health Boards |
620 |
From 2 weeks to 3 years (during 1999 there was a wait of up to 3 years in three of the health boards) |
|
Registered adoption agencies |
1,004 |
Immediate response to 2 years (during 1999 there was a wait of up to 2 years in two of the registered adoption agencies) |
|
The Adoption Board |
1,010* |
3 months* |
*Source – The Adoption Board
The Deputy should note that Barnardos and other voluntary groups working in the area of adoption also provide an adoption advice service for those wishing to trace and be reunited with a blood relative. Earlier this year a number of these groups received once-off funding for this purpose.
I am pleased to advise the Deputy that work is nearing completion in the Department's child care legislation unit on the preparation of legislation in the very complex area of Adoption Information, post-adoption contact and Associated Issues. The scheme of a Bill will be circulated to relevant Government Departments for their observations in the very near future. This legislation will provide for, amongst other issues, the regulation and funding of tracing and reunion services.