Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the fact the HSE proposes to meet Helping Hands next week. However, I must say the Minister of State's response alarms me. The last thing we need to see happening in this country is that intercountry adoption becomes the sole preserve of those who are very well-off. Anyone who engages in an intercountry adoption, by virtue of the number of trips to the country of origin of the child and the degree of preparation that must go into this, incurs very significant cost in any case.

It is appropriate in all circumstances that there is a recognised and authorised mediation service and it is reasonable to expect that couples make some contribution towards that cost. However, it is absolutely unreasonable to expect that the entirety of the cost of the process, coupled with the cost of funding the mediation agencies that have been authorised by the State here and by the countries of origin of the children, would be picked up by the adoptive parents. I call on the Minister of State to bring this matter to the attention of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, who has had a long and genuine interest in this area. If we go down the road of forcing parents to cover the entirety of the substantial costs involved, intercountry adoption will inevitably become the preserve of the very wealthy. I do not believe that would be the objective of anyone in this House.

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