Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

We have waited a long time for the Adoption Bill, which is a matter of great interest to many people, to come to the House. Deputy Shatter has raised issues in connection with the Bill. Every Member has been contacted by people from all over the country who are currently in the process of adopting children from countries that are not signatories to the Hague Convention. When the Bill is passed, it will only enable adoptions from countries that have signed the Hague Convention. Most adoptions in recent years concern children from Russia, Vietnam and Ethiopia. Couples around the country are seriously stressed because they will be excluded from the legislation's terms of reference.

The position is that a couple might try for a number of years to have biological children of their own. They might then look for assisted reproduction. If that fails they wait for three years to get on a waiting list for approval and wait a further period before the adoption process can go through.

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