Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 27 Nov 2001

Vol. 545 No. 1

Written Answers. - Inter-Country Adoptions.

Charles Flanagan

Question:

224 Mr. Flanagan asked the Minister for Health and Children the average waiting time for home study assessment in respect of applicants for inter-country adoption in each health board area; and the number of applications on 1 November 2001. [29908/01]

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

My Department collects statistics from each of the health boards in respect of inter-country adoption at the end of every quarter. The latest quarter for which information is available is the end of September 2001. The information which the Deputy has requested in relation to the waiting time to the commence ment of the home study/assessment is not collected by my Department.

Over the past three years additional funding of approximately £1.36 million or 1.73 million has been allocated to the inter-country adoption service aimed at improving the quality of service provided and also at reducing the time spent on waiting lists by couples. A standardised framework for inter-country adoption assessment is now being used in all health boards. The purpose is to streamline assessment processes so that resources are used effectively and to provide a transparent system that can be used by all of the parties. This is an ongoing process which is being monitored by the health boards and by my Department.

Table 1 outlines the numbers on the waiting list for inter-country adoption at 30 September 2001.

Table 1

HealthBoard	Number of applications awaiting assessment at 30 September 2001
	1st Assessment	2nd Assessment
ERHA	489	60
MHB	47	3
MWHB	79	2
NEHB	35	11
NWHB	36	2
SEHB	98	1
SHB	116	16
WHB	29	0
Total	929	95

Table 2 sets out details of the projected waiting time from the application stage to the beginning of the preparation stage and average duration of assessment in each of the health boards.

Table 2

Health Board	Projected waiting time for assessment ie. time from receipt of completed application to the beginning of preparation stage for applicants who applied at 30 September 2001			Duration of assessment at 30 September 2001 ie. time from beginning of preparation stage to the date of decision by placement committee
	1st Assessment	2nd Assessment	1st Assessment	2nd Assessment
ERHA *1	Not available	Not available	9-10 months	4-5 months
MHB *2	22 months	Immediate	9 months	10 months
MWHB	7-12 months	4 months	4-5 months	3-4 months
NEHB	12-15 months	9-10 months	8-10 months	5-6 months
NWHB	12 months	6 months	8 months	5 months
SEHB	18-24 months	Immediate	8 months	4 months
SHB	9 months	4 months	6 months	4 months
WHB	2-6 months	1-5 months	9-12 months	9-12 months

1.The projected waiting time is not currently available pending the establishment by the ERHA of the two new assessment centres in the Northern and East Coast Area Health Boards to supplement the service in the South West Area Health Board.

2.The Midland Health Board anticipates a further delay of six months between the preparation stage and the home study/assessment for 50% of the couples (nine couples) beginning the preparation stage in November. The other 50% of couples will not encounter this further delay.