John Crown (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have a stake in this as, probably uniquely in this room, I sometimes cause infertility. Cancer treatments can cause side effects and every oncologist must warn patients in advance of them. There is even a small chance of dying from the side-effects of some treatments for which the alternative is inevitable death from cancer. The most difficult thing we have to do is tell people they may become infertile. It is desperate. I see this from the other side and it is a discussion I have frequently. I also have discussions with patients who have gone through cancer treatment, been cured and, many years later, are trying to engage with the adoption services. While it is a truism, and we all agree, that children's rights must come first, there is another side to the story. There are people on the other side who have reasonable expectations and who must be treated correctly and with sensitivity. We must understand that the rights of the child are not some kind of balance against which the rights of the prospective parents are see-sawed. It is better for both if adoption happens. People must understand that if children are up for adoption it is because they are in poor circumstances that can be improved.

The International Adoption Association representatives said the law is too restrictive. Could they tease that out and point out how it could be improved? Could somebody tell me whether the number of children adopted into Ireland from abroad in 2012 was 11 or 117? Rosita Boland, who wrote the article, is in the Visitors Gallery, and she deserves great credit for getting this public debate going again. I would be happy if the committee were to invite Ms Boland to answer questions, now that she is here. I would like to know the answer because everything hinges on it.

I have received representations about the structure and practices of the Adoption Authority of Ireland and I would like to know more. The assumption that legitimate, legal, ethical adoptions began only when the Irish Civil Service became involved is not correct. We all know people who have been through adoption processes over the years which have worked extraordinarily well and have brought great joy and happiness to both sides. What is the authority's budget? How many administrative and front-line staff does it have? Does it have a PR contract? It has outsourced some of its activities to a group called Arc Adoptions. A prospective parent who engages with the service must pay a fee of €2,750 to Arc Adoptions at the outset of the process and every telephone call made with Arc Adoptions attracts a fee of €66, which I find surprising. As a doctor, I do not charge my patients or their relatives for telephone calls, and I do not think many doctors do. I do not know why Arc Adoptions charges €66 for a telephone consultation. What functions has the authority outsourced to Arc Adoptions? One of our expert witnesses today is a social worker with the agency. I would like to know whether the agency has enough front-line staff to perform its functions.