Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 6 Nov 2001

Vol. 543 No. 2

Written Answers. - Foreign Adoptions.

John McGuinness

Question:

381 Mr. McGuinness asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason there is a waiting list within the South-Eastern Health Board area of 15 to 18 months for assessments for couples who wish to apply for foreign adoptions; the number of full-time social workers who have been engaged since 1998 to deal with this matter; the amount of money the Department allocated to the South-Eastern Health Board to assist in dealing with this matter; the steps which will be taken to deal with the waiting list; if he will expedite an assessment for a person (details supplied) in County Carlow; and the reason this person has had to wait so long. [26199/01]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Ms Hanafin):

Since the publication of the report, Towards a Standardised Framework for Intercountry Adoption Assessment Procedures, in June 1999, the South-Eastern Health Board received additional funding from my Department of £26,000, 33,013, in 1999, £48,000, 60,947, in 2000 and £86,000, 109,197, in 2001 to recruit additional staff to carry out assessments and implement the standardised framework for inter-country adoption. The standardised framework is now being used in all boards. The purpose is to streamline assessment processes so that resources are used effectively and to provide a transparent system that can be understood by all of the parties. It has been welcomed by health boards and couples.

Arising from the additional funding and the implementation of the standardised framework the waiting time for assessment in the South-Eastern Health Board has been reduced from up to two and a half years to 18 months in the last year and a half. Since 1998 the number of social work staff employed in the South-Eastern Health Board adoption service has increased from two to 5.5. I have contacted the South-Eastern Health Board in relation to this application for an assessment for inter-country adoption. The board has advised me that it received the person's application in July and expects to begin the assessment at the end of next year.