Sheila Terry (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 4:

In page 6, between lines 42 and 43, to insert the following:

"(3) An employee who is engaged in a process of foreign adoption, shall be entitled, in accordance with regulations made by the Minister, to a maximum of two weeks off work—

(i) without loss of pay where placement subsequently occurs, or

(ii) with loss of play where no placement subsequently occurs

to attend pre-adoption meetings which he or she is obliged to attend.".

We spent much time discussing a similar amendment on Committee Stage. I have put forward a fair amendment which I hope the Minister will be in a position to accept. There is no provision in the Bill to provide adoptive leave to parents prior to the placement of the child, which is discrimination. While accepting the reasons for giving maternity leave to natural mothers and the distinction between natural and adoptive mothers, we must recognise that adoptive parents must spend considerable time and effort trying to secure a child.

As was clear from figures provided last week, a growing number of foreign adoptions are taking place involving adoptive parents from this country and this figure will increase. It would be a great loss if we did not take this opportunity to address the issue of families travelling abroad. We should not ignore the fact that these families must travel abroad, in some cases to faraway countries such as China and countries in South America, to attend meetings and are often obliged to stay in a country for a number of weeks before they get a child. I ask that a couple would be entitled to two weeks off work where they go through this process. In the case of a successful adoption, this would be without loss of pay and in a case where a successful adoption was not concluded, the leave should be without pay.

This is a reasonable amendment. I ask the Minister to recognise the difficulties involved and to recognise the growing number of adoptive parents of foreign children coming to this country.