Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

As I mentioned, this is an area we have discussed previously. When a child is adopted he or she accrues all the same rights as an Irish citizen and enjoys the benefits of the Child Care Act.

What is anticipated by the amendment is post-adoption services to do with psychological supports that would be individual to somebody who has been adopted. Such supports are available in the normal way through the HSE. As Senator Fitzgerald pointed out, where a child is adopted into this country, he or she must be notified to the HSE within three months of his or her arrival and, therefore, he or she is entitled to the same health surveillance as a child born in the State. The adoption authority has a specific role in adoption. It is the central authority under the convention and post-adoption services should be provided by the HSE, as is the case under the Child Care Act 1991. All children should be dealt with in the same way. We are determined that unaccompanied children seeking asylum will be treated in the same way as all other citizens. We do not want a twin-track approach and, while I appreciate the Senator does not propose that, it should not be a central role of the authority. We did not set out to do that. Post-adoption services are provided through the HSE under the Child Care Act 1991.

Progress reported; Committee to sit again.