Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)

Like previous speakers, I wish to mention the representations I have received from various people on this issue over the last few months. I am trying to separate the Vietnam issue, as we may call it, from the general principle of adoption. This Bill repeals the Adoption Acts 1952 to 1998 and makes amendments to other Acts. It dissolves the Adoption Board and establishes a new Adoption Authority of Ireland, and provides clearly for matters relating to the adoption of children. Primarily, the Bill gives force of law to the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Inter-country Adoption, which was signed in 1993. Sixteen years later, we are ratifying it in the House.

It is important to look back and see how far we have come and how adoption has changed in this country. In recent years there has been a decline in the number of Irish-born infants available for domestic adoption. However, there has been a very positive history of families adopting children and taking them into their homes. It has been a two-way process for children who otherwise would not have had a home where they were loved and had security. The Adoption Board and the facilities of the State allowed that to happen. Deputy O'Rourke outlined how it affected her, her husband and their family. According to stories I have heard, the story of adoption has been very positive.

In recent years society has changed and there are many lone parents who, in most cases, are females. The State acknowledges that and supports that person and, in many cases, the couple, with the upbringing of the child. That in itself has been positive. When the Ryan report was released I was struck that there had been so many children for whom the State was responsible. In many cases the religious institutions provided a roof over their heads. There has been so much controversy and so many disturbing stories of the circumstances in which the children found themselves. Today, by contrast, society supports children, their mothers and their extended families. It is a positive step to shine a light on the contribution society makes in giving support to those family situations.

Most Irish-born children placed for adoption in Ireland are adopted by their relatives. As a consequence, opportunities to adopt Irish-born children have reduced for couples in this country and therefore they have turned to look abroad. The issue of inter-country adoption looms large on the agenda. I have met and know of many groups in my own constituency where most of the children concerned are Vietnamese and Chinese. All those involved have been very positive in recognising the child has its own identity, whatever its country of origin, and this needs to be supported. Parents and support groups regularly get together and have children from the same country of origin mixing and meeting one another. They celebrate the Chinese New Year and the traditional feast days and festivities of China or Vietnam with the children and that is very important. One can see the value that has for the child with regard to its identity. It will pay dividends when the child is older, becomes an adult and looks back, trying to come to terms with his or her identity. Those opportunities will pay dividends.

A matter has come up in this debate, in the contributions of the two previous speakers, for example, namely, the "grandfather" clause. The Minister of State has been asked to consider this. I did not hear his contribution but I read a report in which he rejected calls for this clause. He will probably reply on this point, as raised, at the end of the debate. The Minister of State is of the view that allowing individuals to adopt from a country simply because they have adopted from it previously would create a double standard and a dilution of the standards that must apply at all times.

In part I can see the Minister of State's point but I believe he should speak to people and groupings, such as those I mentioned, who clearly recognise that for the child who is not born in this country, identity is a very important issue. As that child becomes an adult it will become even more important as he or she seeks to come to terms with his or her identity. Perhaps the issue is not as black and white as the Minister of State described it. I ask him to look again at this matter and show some leeway. This will be very important for these children when they are adults and also will help the parents in their task of supporting the children and ensuring they integrate fully in this country. They are intent on doing so and the structures are there. That is my experience from talking with groupings who have come together. There is support, and a recognition it is important to work with children so that they can hang on to and reinforce their original identity. That is very important.

Regarding adoption in general, the background is that society has changed and couples or individuals are now committing to having children later in life. In many cases, particularly for those persons who have contacted Members, people find the biological clock is ticking. In some cases they realise too late they are reproductively incompatible and cannot have children. They go down the IVF route in many cases which can work very successfully for some but for others it does not. In many cases those concerned are couples but this situation can arise also for single people. They then decide they will adopt a child.

Am I under pressure of time?

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