Léim ar aghaidh chuig an bpríomhábhar
Gnáthamharc

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 24 May 2000

Vol. 519 No. 6

Written Answers. - Inter-country Adoptions.

Jim Higgins

Ceist:

160 Mr. Higgins (Mayo) asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans he has to extend the parental age for adoption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13349/00]

Irish adoption law does not specify an upper age limit for adoptive parents. However, age is a significant factor when assessing suitability to adopt. Work is ongoing on the drafting of legislation to ratify the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption and I expect that heads of a Bill will be ready to be submitted to Government this summer. In the context of this legislation, eligibility criteria of applicants to adopt, including age will be considered. When making decisions in this matter I will take into account the views expressed by the Adoption Board, the various stakeholders during the consultative process on the legislation to ratify the Hague Convention and the recommendation contained in the Report Towards a Standardised Framework for Intercountry Adoption Assessment Procedures. I wish to confirm that this matter is still under consideration in my Department.

The Deputy may be aware that the Adoption Board decided to introduce upper age limits for couples proposing to adopt from aboard in December of last year. This decision has been the subject of judicial review proceedings before the High Court. Following the advice of counsel, the board has decided to withdraw these age limits with immediate effect. The Adoption Board advised health boards and adoption societies of this decision on 10 April requesting that they take immediate steps to ensure that all persons who applied for an assessment for inter-country adoption and who were refused on the grounds of age are advised in writing of the board's decision at the earliest possible stage. The board has also stated that applicants who were turned down on age grounds should be included on the agency's inter-country adoption waiting list as and from the date of their original application.

Barr
Roinn