Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)

We were discussing amendments Nos. 28, 30, 71 and 72. Amendment No. 72 is in my name and Deputy Shatter already addressed his amendments. The amendments are related in so far as they pertain to relationship between the biological parents and their spouses or relatives and their various rights to adoption and access to their children.

Amendment No. 72 proposes that a parent, relative or someone acting in loco parentis should be able to apply to the court for access to the child subsequent to adoption. This gives rise to the questions of open adoption and whether we should be closing off the relationships a child may have enjoyed prior to his or her adoption. Under my amendment, the court would decide what is in the best interest of the child. There are many reasons a court might decide to allow a right of access but I am leaving the option open for the court to decide otherwise. These issues are more relevant to domestic adoptions than to intercountry ones, although they could arise in either instance. In addition to commending amendment No. 72 to the House, I support Deputy Shatter on the issues he has raised.

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