Results 901-920 of 2,723 for speaker:Barry Andrews

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: I did not address that issue. Senator Healy Eames pointed out that some inter-country adoptions arise from the abandonment of a child and obviously there is no opportunity in those circumstances for the natural mother of the child to give an opinion. In inter-country adoptions, a mother will be counselled on all these issues, such as where the child will be placed for adoption. What was...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: It is a right for the natural mother rather than anything else. I do not see how it could fetter the natural mother in placing a child for adoption.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: If the consent is not informed, one will not have an adoption. If a mother or father who is placing a child for adoption has a list of requirements, there will be no adoption until the list is complied with. There must be fully informed consent.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: One must ensure that is done. It is something which has tried to be captured in the amendment so the mother is fully aware and is entitled to assert her right to ensure this issue is respected. I would stand over the proposed section.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: It is not new.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: It is less and less of a significant section due to the Senators' points. The section will not block adoptions in practice. Rather, it will ensure that adoptions will not run foul of subsequent withdrawals of consent because of placements with religions that do not suit or had not been brought to the attention of the natural mother or father. The section seeks to avoid that situation. It...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: It applies to intercountry adoptions.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: I must clarify the point, given the different opinions on it. I must give the Senators a more complete answer on Report Stage.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: I must revert to the Senators on Report Stage.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: Yes.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: It has already been dealt with.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: The measure is to ensure a reasonable degree of maturity in adoption applicants. Different age limits are applied in other areas, such as the age of consent, voting and so on. In this case, the age limit allows applicants a reasonable opportunity to evaluate their readiness for the procedures involved, which everyone knows to be complex. If we are guided by the best interests of children,...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: I am not inclined to accept the amendment.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: To deal with the first point, in the previous day's debate, Members had a discussion on the standards this Bill is trying to introduce and the danger of diluting such standards by allowing less rigorous criteria for certain categories of people simpliciter, without being obliged to go through the same eligibility and suitability procedures as everyone else. This is not good practice and...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: I have met the International Adoption Association on a number of occasions since my appointment and the organisation has consistently raised the delay in the assessment procedure, as have constituents, Deputies and Senators. Complaints are also made about the procedure, although people are reluctant to complain about it because they feel they may jeopardise their chances of succeeding in...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: I reiterate that I have enormous sympathy for parents who have to go through this process because it is unnecessarily prolonged and drawn out. It can be tortuous and really tough on parents because much of the time they have had painful and difficult problems relating to having children. I would love, as a Minister of State, to be able to make this reform and shorten that period of...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: They are basically.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: It is the reality on the ground. As I explained to the Senator, the HSE is vilified all the time, especially in the Houses of the Oireachtas. I am a strong advocate for our social workers because they make major decisions in child welfare and protection about whether a child stays within his or her family or is put into foster care or some other type of protection of the State. These are...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: The danger with a timeframe is that it might draw child welfare services away to service adoption towards the end of any proposed timeframe that might be set out in legislation. The dangers of that are self-evident. I would be very concerned about that. Again we need to frame the debate in the context of the country's financial situation, which is parlous as the Senator is fully aware....

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: There has been a big increase in demand for these services in recent years.