Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 28 Jun 2000

Vol. 522 No. 3

Written Answers. - Foreign Adoptions.

Paul Connaughton

Ceist:

38 Mr. Connaughton asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of applications for assessment for foreign adoption in each health board area; the year of receipt of such applications; the average length of waiting time for assessment; and if he regards the current position as satisfactory. [17443/00]

Alan Shatter

Ceist:

129 Mr. Shatter asked the Minister for Health and Children the number of applications for assessment for foreign adoption in each health board area; the year of receipt of such applications; the average length of waiting time for assessment; and if he regards the current position as satisfactory. [18555/00]

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Ms Hanafin):

I propose to take Questions Nos. 38 and 129 together.

I am making a series of tables available to the Deputy which outline: the number of applications waiting assessment, by board/agency at 31 March, 2000; the approximate waiting time for assessment for those joining waiting lists at 31 March, 2000; and trends in receipts and finalisation of applications from 1999 to March 2000. Key data included in these tables are as follows: the backlog at 1 January 1999 estimated in the report Towards a Standardised Framework of Inter-country Adoption Assessment Procedures, was just under 500. Since then almost 500 applications have been processed to completion. There are 1,038 applications on hand at 31 March 2000 and 1,303 applications were received in the two years 1998 and 1999.

This data suggest that current applications date from 1998 in a number of boards. Looking at the data by health board area suggests that there may be a small number of applications which were submitted prior to this date in the Eastern Regional Health Authority Area and the South Eastern Health Board area. There may also be some deferred cases in all of the boards where the original application date pre-dates 1998. Data for the end of the second quarter of this year is being collated and will be available shortly. In collating such data the boards will be asked to include details of date of receipt of applications. Details of the more current situation will be made available to the deputy as soon as they have been compiled.

A key characteristic of the intercountry adoption service is its demand-led nature. The inability of service providers to respond to the enormous increase in demand was one of the reasons which led to the review of the intercountry adoption assessment service in the report Towards a Standardised Framework for Inter-country Adoption Assessment Procedures. There is no doubt but that this service was considerably under-resourced in the past. However, the level of unpredictability experienced in recent years is bound to affect the ability of the individual boards to make rapid responses to such increases. For example, between 1998 and 1999 four of the boards saw an increase in applications, some almost a two-fold increase, the other four saw a decrease in numbers applying. Preliminary indications suggest that applications in 2000 will exceed 1999 figures in some boards.

The Deputy will be aware that additional funding of £1 million was allocated, £500,000 in both 1999 and 2000, to the service following the publication of the report on Inter-country Adoption Assessment Procedures in 1999. The largest beneficiaries of the additional funding were the Eastern Regional Health Authority, formerly the Eastern Health Board, and the Southern Health Board. The additional funding was used to recruit additional social work staff, improve office accommodation, information technology and clerical and administrative support. Several training initiatives on the new assessment model have also been organised and funded on a cross-board basis. Additional guidance on the implementation of the new standardised framework has also been commissioned by my Department and will be available to social workers shortly. These initiatives are contributing to a reduction in waiting times and the duration of assessment. It is acknowledged that there are variations in progress between boards.

While some boards have a considerably greater number of applications than others, waiting time is obviously dependent on the numbers of social workers engaged in assessment in the individual boards. In that regard, I must point out that there have been considerable difficulties in the recruitment of social workers and this has inevitably delayed the expected impact of the additional funding in some boards. Clearly, the availability, recruitment and retention of appropriately qualified staff will be a key element in reducing waiting times for assessments. I am satisfied that the boards are doing their utmost to recruit the necessary staff. The difficulties being experienced are part of a general shortage of social work staff in the child care area.

An implementation group was established to plan, prioritise and cost the implementation of the report Towards a Standardised Framework for Inter-country Adoption Assessment Procedures. This group is nearly finished its work and have advised that a report on progress will be made available to me this week. I understand that this report will contain, inter alia, a comprehensive outline of developments arising from the implementation of the standardised framework as well as findings and recommendations in relation to the future of the intercountry adoption service.

Number of applications awaiting assessment at 31 March 2000

	Firstassessment	Second/Subsequentassessment	Total
E.R.H.A.	492	83	575
M.H.B.	40	0	40
M.W.H.B.	52	7	59
N.E.H.B.	44	2	46
N.W.H.B.	50	5	55
S.E.H.B.	93	7	100
S.H.B.	136	12	148
W.H.B.	11	2	13
PACT	2	0	2
Total	920	118	1,038

Waiting time for inter-country adoption assessment at

31 March 2000

	First assessment	Second/subsequent assessment
E.R.H.A.	22 months	19 months
M.H.B.	10 months	5 months
M.W.H.B.	28 months	10 months
N.E.H.B.	13 months	2-3 months
N.W.H.B.	11-12 months	11-12 months
S.E.H.B.	30 months	6 months
S.H.B.	Kerry 11 monthsCork 18 months	7 months
W.H.B.	4-6 months	3-4 months
PACT	1½-2 months	1½-2 months

Trends 1999 to March 2000

	Estimated Backlog	1999	1999	Estimated Backlog	March 2000
	January 1999	ApplicationsReceived	ApplicationsFinalised	January 2000	Waiting List
E.R.H.A.	239	250	112	377	575
M.H.B.	13	26	7	32	40
M.W.H.B.	17	65	12	70	59
N.E.H.B.	43	44	27	60	46
N.W.H.B.	37	28	28	37	55
S.E.H.B.	1	54	22	33	100
S.H.B.	121	111	48	184	148
W.H.B.	12	36	26	22	13
PACT	0	9	2	7	2
Total	483	623	284	822	1,038