Seanad debates

Thursday, 8 May 2003

National Standards for Foster Care: Statements.

 

Senator Henry referred to adoption. While I do not want to pre-empt what will emerge from the consultation, the question of open adoption is already with us in the sense that the Adoption Board now often makes orders subject to conditions which preserve a degree of contact between the birth mother, the adopted child and the adoptive family. This is one of the issues which will have to be looked at in the consultation process. I hope Senator Henry and Deputy Power, whom she mentioned, will make a submission to the review in order that whatever legislative framework we put in place will be adequate to allow for such experiments. It is important that we look at different ways of encouraging mothers to bond with their children and address the problems that confront them in a crisis pregnancy.

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