Ivana Bacik (Independent)

While the amendment seeks to make a sensible change, I would be somewhat cautious about diluting the need for the authority to have regard always to the welfare of the child as being first and paramount. I have a slight concern, particularly in respect of amendment No. 24, that it implies a watering down of the tests required. I can see that the tests could be fulfilled much more quickly in respect of a natural parent or relative who was seeking to adopt. However, all Members are still highly conscious of the dreadful abuses that occur within natural families and I can imagine that an authority must still be satisfied of certain basic considerations pertaining to the child's welfare before it could give its recognition to an adoption order or an inter-country adoption.

I note that section 34(b)(v) contains a requirement for the authority to be satisfied as to the prospective adopters valuing and supporting the child's needs in respect of his or her identity and ethnic, religious and cultural background. This is what I referred to previously about adoption practice elsewhere being clear about always having regard to such matters when placing children for adoption with appropriate adoptive parents. It strikes me that this is a sensible way to frame the necessary consideration to be taken into account by the authority.