Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)

I welcome the opportunity to make a brief contribution on the Adoption Bill 2009 and I thank my colleague, Deputy Niall Blaney, for allowing me share his time.

It is important that we would note that the objects of this Bill include ratification of the Hague Convention; to provide for inter-country adoptions on a statutory basis to be in accordance with the standards set out in the convention, and to repeal the Adoption Acts 1952 to 1998 and bring forward, restate or update the provisions of those Acts as appropriate. One of the other objects is to re-establish the Adoption Board as the Adoption Authority of Ireland with additional functions and powers.

It is important that we would have this debate. I had the opportunity yesterday to meet young people from a school in my constituency - not from Tallaght but from Templeogue - and in the company of Deputies Rabbitte and Brian Hayes, was chatting to them. They were interested in what all of us did on a daily basis and I made the point that all human life passes before a politician's desk and through our clinics. I conduct nine clinics every week and I come across many matters. I get the same issues that crop up in Kildare, in other regions of Dublin, in Limerick and in Artane.

See this speech in context