Jim O'Keeffe
Question:121 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of adoptions both domestic and inter-country in the past three years; and his proposals to amend existing adoption legislation. [6813/03]
Written Answers - Adoption Statistics.
The Adoption Board collates and publishes adoption statistics. The following tables contain information extracted from the Adoption Board's annual report for 2000 which is the most recent published annual report of the Adoption Board. Provisional figures are provided for 2001 pending the publication of the Adoption Board's annual report for that year. Table 1 below outlines the number of children adopted from abroad in the years 1999 to 2001. Adoptions from abroad come within three categories, that is, 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 1999 to 2001
|
Year |
1999 |
2000 |
2001* |
Total |
|
Entries in the Register of Foreign Adoptions |
176 |
209 |
163 |
548 |
|
Adoption orders processed under the Adoption Act, 1952 |
13 |
14 |
14 |
41 |
|
Adoption orders processed under the Adoption Act, 1988 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
|
Total |
191 |
225 |
179 |
595 |
*Provisional figures
In relation to domestic adoption, Tables 2 and 3 below outline the number of adoption orders made in the years 1999 to 2001. However, the Deputy should note that the placements by birth mother or others in Table 2 include applications processed under the Adoption Acts 1952 and 1988 referred to in Table 1, that is, 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 1999 to 2001
|
Year |
1999 |
2000 |
2001* |
Total |
|
Adoption orders made in respect of children placed by:Adoption Societies |
53 |
46 |
32 |
131 |
|
Health Boards |
37 |
31 |
49 |
117 |
|
Birth mothers and others |
30 |
19 |
16 |
65 |
|
Total |
120 |
96 |
97 |
313 |
*Provisional figures
Table 3
Adoption orders made in respect of family adoptions in the years 1999 to 2001
|
Year |
1999 |
2000 |
2001* |
Total |
|
No. of family adoptions |
197 |
207 |
196 |
600 |
*Provisional figures
Two pieces of amending legislation on adoption and related issues are currently being progressed by my Department: (i) the heads of the Adoption Information, Post-Adoption Contact and Associated Issues Bill, were approved by Government in May 2001 and are currently with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel for drafting of the legislation, and (ii) draft heads of a Bill to ratify the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption are at an advanced stage of preparation in my Department.
Irish adoption legislation was first introduced in 1952 and has been amended by six subsequent Acts. The impact on legislation of the changing trends in adoption is one which I am currently pursuing. I hope to be in a position to produce a set of proposals in the near future and I would intend consulting widely on these.