Ms Trish Connolly:

I would like to again put on the record that a mentoring programme is available under the Hague Convention. However, this does not necessarily mean there must be a bilateral programme in place - it is down to interpretation. A mentoring programme that is working in one country could be used to assist another country.

Vietnam and certain agencies were also mentioned today. Adoptions from Vietnam have recommenced. We are told there are 15 proposals in principle, which is the equivalent of a child being referred, currently under way in Ireland. We would like to point out that the agency that had been in operation at the time the bilateral agreement expired is now back in operation.

On whether the current legislation is too restrictive, we believe it is not fit for purpose. We are aware that the authority has made 23 submissions on the legislation. There are four or five issues of concern to us. We are asking, and have asked previously, that the board of the authority should consist of an adoptee, an adoptive parent, a birth parent and another person who reflects any or all of the above and comes from the wider community of all of my colleagues around the table today. It is important somebody who can give first-hand information is on that board. Many of us come from both ends of the spectrum and, as such, have an insight into it. We also ask that the lifespan of the declaration be increased. Three years is not long enough within the process to effect an adoption. If we follow the principle of subsidiarity, which is not being talked about today, then a child is best placed in its country of origin, and if that option is not available it will then be placed for inter-country adoption as a last resort. The children we adopt will be older and, therefore, the lifespan of the declaration while journeying through the process is not long enough. We endorse the five-year declaration proposed by the Authority.

We would welcome information on tracing. We believe it is a valuable key to assisting every adopted child who, as he or she gets older, has questions around identity, culture, race or belief, whether he or she was adopted domestically or internationally. It is hoped that if the provision of information on tracing is successful, it will be extended to cover international adoptions, children whose paperwork is legally available and the many children who have contact with their birth families.

On required changes in the law, we are told that the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, made an amendment to the legislation during the last hour of the last session prior to the Dáil's going into recess last December. It can be done and in a timely fashion.

On the issue of accredited bodies, I believe the authority will address this issue. We have had three bodies accredited for mediation agency purposes. They have since merged to form two bodies, yet the Department will provide funding for only one. A lot of time, heartache and expense on the part of the State went into the assessment of these bodies, yet they are not functioning properly and the number of adoptions is very low. Where is the sustainability in that?