Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 29 Jan 1998

Vol. 486 No. 2

Written Answers. - Adoption Board Report.

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

155 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of adoption orders made by the Adoption Board in 1996 and in 1997; if he will give details of the number of orders that were made in favour of couples or an individual unrelated to the child adopted; and the way in which adoption orders were made in favour of the mother of the child adopted and her husband, the father of the child adopted and his wife and relatives of the child adopted where neither was a natural parent of the child. [2348/98]

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

159 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason for the delay in publishing the Report of the Adoption Board for the year 1996. [2352/98]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 155 and 159 together.

Under the Adoption Act, 1952, the Minister for Health and Children is required to submit the report of the Adoption Board to Government and to have it laid before each House of the Oireachtas. Administrative arrangements were put in place to have the 1996 report submitted to Government but were subsequently put on hold as the Adoption Board recently made available the 1997 report. I have now decided to have the 1997 report examined by officials in my Department with a view to having both reports submitted to Government on the one occasion.

The detail requested by Deputy Shatter is contained in these reports but cannot be released prior to approval by Government. The reports when published will be available from the Government Publications Office.