Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 February 2010
267 Deputy Jim O’Keeffe asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding foreign adoptions and in particular in relation to persons who have been waiting years to complete the adoption process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6650/10]
View answerThe Adoption Bill 2009, is designed to give force of law to the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Inter-country Adoption. The new legislation, which incorporates the provisions of the Hague Convention, is designed to provide a framework to ensure that appropriate procedures have been followed and that all adoptions are effected in the best interests of the child. Future inter-country adoption arrangements will be governed by the terms of the Adoption Bill 2009 when enacted.
The current policy position, as set out in the Adoption Bill 2009, is that for an adoption to be registered under the Bill it must be effected in a contracting State to the Hague Convention or in a country with which Ireland has a bilateral agreement. For non-Hague countries only those adoptions effected prior to the commencement of the new law can be registered on the Register of Inter-Country Adoptions to be established under the Bill.
I announced on 26 January my intention to bring forward on Committee Stage an amendment to the Adoption Bill 2009 that will enable prospective adoptive parents to proceed with an adoption from a non-Hague or non-bilateral country, if prior to the establishment date, they have been issued with a Declaration of Eligibility and Suitability to adopt. The proposed amendment requires that the Adoption Authority (to be set up under the Act) would be satisfied that the particular adoption meets all the standards of the Hague Convention.
Applicants for inter-country adoption must undergo a detailed statutory assessment process, which is undertaken by professional social workers, and must be approved by the Adoption Board before a Declaration of Eligibility and Suitability to adopt abroad can be issued to them from the board.
I acknowledge that persons applying for inter-country adoption are currently experiencing unacceptably long delays as regards waiting times for assessment. Requests for assessment for inter-country adoption are continuously increasing and Ireland currently has one of the highest rates for inter-country adoption in Europe. The Health Service Executive has responsibility for the assessments of applicants for adoption through its social work service. I have asked the Health Service Executive to do everything possible to reduce waiting times and assessment times for prospective adopters which currently are excessively long. In addition, Part 13 of the Adoption Bill 2009 provides for the registration of accredited bodies to carry out aspects of the adoption process, including assessment.
