Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

On the adoption Bill, families and children across the country have difficulties because of the Government's failure to reform our adoption legislation. Prior to the summer recess, on the Taoiseach's final day in this House, a promise was made by him, along with the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children with responsibility for children, that the adoption Bill would be published during the summer. This Bill has been promised for approximately nine and a half years, which I think is a national record. I have lost count of the number of legislative programmes on which we have seen it. Can the Taoiseach tell us whether it will be published this week or next week? What happened to the promise that guaranteed its publication during the summer recess period?

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