Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 20 Apr 1999

Vol. 503 No. 3

Written Answers. - Inter-Country Adoptions.

Deirdre Clune

Ceist:

356 Ms Clune asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of applications for foreign adoptions in the Southern Health Board region in each of the years from 1996 to 1998; and, if, further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 218 and 234 of 20 October 1998 there has been an improvement in the waiting time for assessment. [9920/99]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

The number of applications for inter-country adoptions in the Southern Health Board region in each of the years from 1996 to 1998 is as follows :

Year	No. of Applicants
1996	53
1997	75
1998	149

Further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 218 and 234 of October 1998 there has been an improve ment in the waiting time for assessment in the Cork area with a reduction from three years to 15 months. The waiting time in the Kerry area remains at 12 months. The Southern Health Board has increased the staffing in the adoption department by three social workers in Cork and has transferred a half time post from Cork to Kerry. These appointments are currently being made and it is expected that they will help to reduce the overall waiting times in due course.

As I have mentioned previously in the House, I recently commissioned an independent consultancy to review the inter-country adoption assessment procedures in the eight health boards with the aim of ensuring an efficient and standardised assessment procedure which accords with best practice in the field operates across the country while at the same time having regard to the priority that must be attached to other areas of the child care services. A draft report was submitted to my Department last month and was examined by the advisory committee established to oversee the consultancy. I hope to be in receipt of the consultant's final report by the end of the month.