Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 February 2015
395. Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of non-family adoption orders granted for each of the past ten years; if he will provide a breakdown of the non-family adoption orders granted to couples and to single persons for each year; if he will provide a gender breakdown of these single persons for each year over the period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4794/15]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Adoption Authority of Ireland has provided a table which shows the number of domestic adoption orders made from 2005 through 2014 in respect of non-family adoptions. The Authority advises that it does not maintain statistics on the numbers of sole applicants adopting a non-related child. However, it can be taken that the number of sole applicants adopting non-related children is extremely low and would occur only in exceptional circumstances, e.g. where a foster family intended to adopt a foster child and one of the couple died and the other proceeded with the adoption. The reasons for the exceptional nature of these adoptions are that birth mothers giving their children for adoption typically choose a couple and also that sole applicants are not automatically eligible to adopt but must satisfy the Authority that in the particular circumstances the adoption is desirable and in the best interests of the child.
|
Year |
Number of non-family adoption orders made |
|
2005 |
62 |
|
2006 |
69 |
|
2007 |
43 |
|
2008 |
67 |
|
2009 |
42 |
|
2010 |
35 |
|
2011 |
39 |
|
2012 |
13 |
|
2013 |
29 |
|
2014 |
30 |
