Peter Barry
Ceist:47 Mr. Barry asked the Minister for Justice the reason for the delay in issuing authorisation letters to couples who wish to adopt Romanian children.
Written Answers. - Adoption of Romanian Children.
The United Nations Convention on the rights of the Child, which was signed recently by the Taoiseach with a view to its ratification by the State, includes provisions in relation to inter-country adoption which are designed to ensure that children concerned in such adoptions enjoy safeguards and standards equivalent to those existing in the case of national adoption. While the convention does not yet have legal effect here, the actions of Government Departments and State agencies with regard to inter-country adoption must be guided by its provisions.
The Department of Justice are at present as a matter of urgency in consultation with the Department of Health with a view to identifying the legislative or other measures that may be necessary to enable the State to regulate the adoption of foreign children by Irish people in compliance with the convention and the issue of the letters referred to in the question has been suspended pending the introduction of these measures.