Seanad debates

Wednesday, 11 March 2009

Adoption Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed)

 

12:00 pm

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 19:

In page 28, before section 31, to insert the following new section:

"31.—(1) In this section, "a contact order" means an order requiring the person with whom a child lives, or is to live, to allow the child to visit or stay with the person named in the order, or for that person and the child otherwise to have contact with each other.

(2) Where the father is consulted under section 30 (3) of this Act, the Court may make a contact order in favour of the father, on such terms as the Court may see fit.".

On Second Stage we mentioned the concept of open adoption and asked the Minister of State how legislation might deal with that and what his view was in terms of the legislation required. We suggest a new section here in respect of the definition of a contact order. In addition, in paragraph (2) of the amendment we suggest that where the father is consulted, as under section 33 of this Bill, the court can make a contact order in favour of the father on such terms as the court sees fit. This amendment attempts to deal with situations of open adoption where, potentially, there would be ongoing contact such as is prevalent now in many countries, including Ireland.

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