Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I am not happy. In the transitional period there will be individuals who are unfairly caught up in a change of law that they could not possibly have envisaged and whose assessment and application for the declaration of suitability has been unduly delayed by a grossly inefficient system, in which there is no uniformity of approach throughout the country and no timelines for anything to be completed by the HSE.

Anyone who goes through the adoption process finds it very stressful. They find the assessment procedure stressful as well. Even if such people believe things are going well, they find it stressful awaiting the report and not knowing what the recommendation necessarily will be. It is unfair to them to add an extra layer of stress. If people are assessed and deemed suitable by the Adoption Board and if we properly apply the provisions of the 1991 Act, as amended, there is no reason why they should not be allowed to complete adoptions abroad which we recognise. The specifications in respect of that legislation ensure particular standards are maintained.

The problem with regard to Vietnam was the bilateral agreement with a monitoring committee that failed to monitor and report. The Government went asleep on it for five years and did nothing and then it suddenly discovered from international reports that there could be a problem. That is the reality of what has happened there. The Government has gone down the road of negotiating-----

See this speech in context