Vol. 515 No. 2
66 Mr. Kenny asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans, if any, he has to amend existing adoption legislation to provide new procedures for the granting of parental rights to a husband who marries the mother of a child born to another outside marriage; and the further plans, if any, he has to amend existing adoption legislation to facilitate the adoption board in making access orders in favour of birth fathers. [4879/00]
140 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans, if any, he has to amend existing adoption legislation to provide new procedures for the granting of parental rights to a husband who marries the mother of a child born to another outside marriage; and the further plans, if any, he has to amend existing adoption legislation to facilitate the Adoption Board in making access orders in favour of birth fathers. [5607/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 140 together.
The issues outlined by Deputy Shatter and Deputy Kenny arise from the report of the Adoption Board 1998 and involve legislative change to both adoption law, which is the primary responsibility of the Department of Health and Children, and guardianship and custody law which is the responsibility of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. These are very complex matters involving far reaching policy questions which have legal and constitutional implications for both Departments.
As I have outlined previously in the House, my Department's child care legislation unit is preparing two major pieces of legislation at present and intends to have schemes of a Bill to Government on an Adoption Information Bill and the Ratification of the Hague Convention on inter-country Adoption Bill, as soon as possible this year. I am very much aware of the issues associated with step-parent adoption and I have initiated contact with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform in this regard. I intend to give this matter and the question of access orders further consideration, in conjunction with that Department, when work has been finalised on the two major pieces of legislation currently in preparation.
