Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 4 Feb 2003

Vol. 560 No. 3

Written Answers. - Adoption Statistics.

Seán Power

Question:

311 Mr. S. Power asked the Minister for Health and Children the names and addresses of all the adoption agencies in the country. [2437/03]

Seán Power

Question:

312 Mr. S. Power asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of foreign adoptions which took place here each year since 1997. [2438/03]

Seán Power

Question:

313 Mr. S. Power asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of domestic adoptions which took place here each year since 1997. [2439/03]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 311 to 313, inclusive, together.

I am forwarding to the Deputy a booklet entitled An Outline of Adoption Law and Procedure which contains a list of registered adoption agencies and health board adoption services.

I will also forward a copy of the Adoption Board's annual report for 2000 which is the most recent published annual report of the Adoption Board, from which I have extracted the following information.

Table 1 below outlines the number of children adopted from abroad in the years 1997 to 2000. Adoptions from abroad come within three categories, i.e. adoptions entered in the register of foreign adoptions, applications for an adoption order for children adopted from abroad which have been processed under the Adoption Act 1952 and those which have been processed under the Adoption Act 1988.

Table 1

Number of foreign adoptions in the years 1997 to 2000

Year	1997	1998	1999	2000	Total
Entries in the Register of Foreign Adoptions	51	120	176	209	556
Adoption orders processed under the Adoption Act 1952	31	27	13	14	85
Adoption orders processed under the Adoption Act 1988	2	0	2	2	6
Total	84	147	191	225	647

In relation to domestic adoption, tables 2 and 3 below outline the number of adoption orders made in the years 1997 to 2000. However, the Deputy should note that the placements by birth mother or others in table 2 includes applications processed under the Adoption Acts 1952 and 1988 referred to in table 1, i.e. for children adopted from abroad in respect of whom a domestic adoption order was made.

Table 2

Adoption orders made in respect of non-family adoptions in the years 1997 to 2000

Year	1997	1998	1999	2000	Total
Adoption orders made in respect of children placed by:
Adoption Societies	95	68	53	46	262
Health Board	41	31	37	31	140
Birth mothers and others	36	37	30	19	122
Total	172	136	120	96	524

Table 3

Adoption orders made in respect of family adoptions in the years 1997 to 2000

Year	1997	1998	1999	2000	Total
Number of family adoptions	250	264	197	207	918