Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

It was a heartening sight to see. Some 336 adoptions in 2002 were of children from abroad, a very high figure. We must ensure we cater for the often onerous issues that arise when one is adopting from abroad. As a couple must adjust to a baby coming into their lives through natural birth, so too must adoptive parents. Very often it is a more difficult time for adoptive parents. Adopted children often have stronger emotional needs, something which should be reflected in the legislation. It can take adopted children a long time to adapt to their parents. Parents need time to get to know the child and to allow the child to adjust to its new life. The Green Party welcomes the main provisions of the Bill.

I would like to digress for a moment to speak about the onus on Irish society to become more child friendly. We need to look to all Departments and to work out whether we are creating an environment which is conducive to family life and the life of children. It appears that in planning of new residential estates we are planning more for the motor car than the child. There are good models abroad, in Germany and the Netherlands, where streets, towns and communities revolve around the needs of children. The streets are safe for them to play on. Play areas are provided and that stops children going near the road. How other countries look at the needs of children in society should give us food for thought. While I have not been to Scandinavia for some years, I remember there were pocket parks in almost every neighbourhood within which there appeared to be child care centres. These parks were located within walking distance of where the people lived. That is not happening in new or existing communities in Ireland.

Within the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown council area there are only six playgrounds operated by the local authority, while in some counties there is none. That is an indictment of our failure to cater for the needs of children in the wider arena and should give us pause for thought. While the Adoptive Leave Bill 2004 goes a long distance towards meeting the needs of adopted children and their parents, we should look at the wider issue of making society cater for the needs of children. Those needs are not catered for if parents are looking at their watch as they drive their children to the play group or crèche before hurrying back into the traffic and coming back after dark to pick them up. Something is wrong there. We must change Irish society and put the needs of children first when planning policy.

Slightly more leave is allowed abroad. English legislation gives more time to adoptive parents and we should examine that model. We might also play down the gender references in the legislation. There is every possibility that the male would wish to be the primary carer and that should be encouraged in the legislation.

It is important that we get the early years right. This Bill is a step in the right direction and I hope we see more Government policies that put the needs of children first.

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