Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I welcome this opportunity to speak on inter-country adoptions and at the outset, I acknowledge the proactive role the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, has taken since she assumed responsibility for this issue. The creation of the Ministry for Children and Youth Affairs shows the Government's commitment in respect of all matters relating to children. The Minister's indication in recent days that her intention is for a stand-alone referendum on children's rights to take place is an endorsement of the Government's position.

I am quite familiar with many of the people involved in the various groups which represent those seeking to adopt and I am, therefore, aware that there is a genuine recognition of the Minister's proactive efforts, and those of her Department, in respect of how we might best move forward and make real progress post-ratification of the Hague convention. It has taken some time to reach this point. Ironically, the ratification of the convention resulted in a reduction in the number of inter-country adoptions from 397 in 2008 to just over 200 in 2011. That was to be expected. People have been patient. They understood that there was a need to recalibrate the entire process.

I have received feedback from those who have been waiting patiently to adopt. Adoption is primarily for the benefit of the child involved and ensures that he or she will have access to opportunities of which he or she would not have been able to avail had he or she not been adopted. I have seen real and tangible evidence of this. Within a few months of their being adopted, one can see genuine improvements in children over two years of age. I refer, in particular, to their physical and mental well-being in this regard. That is due to the care provided by and the genuine and sincere intentions of the people who adopt them. As a result of the work of our missionaries and NGOs, Ireland has a reputation as, and is recognised and respected for being, a caring nation. We sometimes do not give ourselves enough credit in this regard.

There are a few matters which must be progressed in order that the process relating to inter-country adoptions might return to the levels which previously obtained. If it did return to those levels, this would lead to adoptions taking place on a more regular basis each year. The first of the issues to which I wish to refer in this regard revolves around clarity for prospective parents with regard to the different countries from which children can be adopted. Will the Minister indicate the states from which it will be possible to adopt? Will she also indicate the level of engagement the Adoption Authority of Ireland has had with various countries, regardless of whether these are compliant with or are signatories to the Hague convention? Information in this regard will allow prospective parents to make a choice and to concentrate their efforts on particular countries. They will be in a position to seek as much knowledge as possible in respect of the culture and history of the country from which they would like to adopt a child. They can also seek to discover what would be involved with regard to adopting a child or children from that country. The provision of information such as that to which I refer would be of immense assistance in the context of speeding up the assessment process as it relates to prospective parents.

Vietnam's ratification of the convention is welcome. It will, however, be necessary to ascertain the number of applications which remain outstanding as soon as possible. This will allow us to better judge the timescales involved. There are quite a few people whose cases became known as "pipeline cases" when the process was originally delayed. Many of them had already adopted one child and were in the process of adopting another. They are now in a state of limbo. This is a matter which must be addressed. The Adoption Authority of Ireland has approved Arc Adoption as an accredited agency for the purposes of adoption mediation in respect of Vietnam. Applications for accreditation from other bodies in this regard remain under consideration by the authority. The latter is expected to make its decisions on those applications known in the near future. It might be of assistance if the Minister could provide an indication of the number of agencies she envisages might be accredited.

Ireland has a bilateral agreement with Russia in respect of adoptions. The majority of children adopted from abroad have come from either Russia or Vietnam. I understand a meeting involving Russian officials and the Adoption Authority of Ireland took place in December. Will the Minister outline what was the outcome of that meeting and will she indicate when it is likely that progress will be made in respect of this matter?

The Adoption Authority of Ireland has stated that it requires a budget of approximately €100,000. It is obvious that the authority requires resources. Will the Minister outline the level of funding that will be made available to it and indicate the number of staff she is going to be in a position to appoint?

Pathways to Adoption has raised a number of matters. In the past many issues arose in the context of post-placement reporting, particularly in the context of Russia. There was a difficulty in ensuring that the process in respect of such reporting was as complete as the Russian authorities would have desired. This led to a consequent delay in other adoptions being assessed and approved. This is probably an administrative as well as a resources issue. I have no doubt, however, that with the assistance of the Adoption Authority of Ireland, it can be addressed. It is important that unnecessary delays in the system should not have knock-on effects whereby adoptions would be slowed up.

As a Member of the previous Dáil, I took a keen interest in this matter. I intend no disrespect to the then Minister of State with responsibility for children and youth affairs when I say that it was difficult to inject a sense of urgency into what was a stalled process. That process was denying children the opportunity to have a better life.

A secondary but very important aspect of adoption is the fact that it allows parents and couples to achieve a level of fulfilment in their lives which is of benefit to them, society and their children. It is important to bear that in mind. It is always politically correct to state that children come first. The latter is certainly the case but we should not disregard the overall benefits which accrue.

I have seen a change in people who, as a result of adoption, have been in a position to give of themselves. Those to whom I refer have resources but they did not adopt until they were well into their 40s. When they were adopting ten years ago, they could have done so much sooner if the system had been somewhat more efficient. Unfortunately, the exception which proved the rule and which slowed down the process in respect of certain countries relates to the one or two high-profile cases where things went wrong. There was a Wicklow connection in respect of one of those unfortunate cases. What was done in that case was not deliberate but it attracted a high profile. Untold damage was done to the process relating to Vietnam at that time. Cases of this nature continue to arise and the Adoption Authority of Ireland must be provided with resources, particularly if it is, under the auspices of the Minister's Department, going to be the de facto statutory body with responsibility for overseeing adoptions. It should be given the resources it requires. As a country, we have a moral obligation in this regard.

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