Frances Fitzgerald (Fine Gael)

I second the amendment. This is the first time in our debate on the Bill that we have raised the issue of accredited agencies. I have tabled a number of amendments which allow accredited agencies as well as the HSE to take action under the Bill. When I raised this issue during our last debate on the Bill, I understood from the Minister of State's response that he was against the idea of an accredited agency and was satisfied the HSE was competent to do the necessary work. However, I since read in an interview in The Sunday Business Post that he now agrees that the concept of an accredited agency would be useful in dealing with the well-documented problems this country faces in terms of waiting lists for adoption assessments.

It is completely unacceptable that people have to wait years for assessments which are relatively straightforward. Certain established procedures must be followed, various people are interviewed and references are checked. The waiting lists exist because there is a shortage of the personnel required to do this work in a timely and efficient manner. These delays are particularly distressing for couples who become ineligible because of age limits and who in many cases have already undergone fertility treatments. I am sure the Minister of State read the two letters on this subject in The Irish Times today. For quite some time we have had a failed system of assessment with the result that children and parents have been left in limbo. The two letters in The Irish Times say it all. It is clearly beyond the HSE's capabilities at present to conduct adoption assessments in an efficient and speedy manner. It is not that organisation's fault because it has not been adequately resourced to do the job requested of it. It is in an impossible situation.

A leading article by Carl O'Brien in The Irish Times today reports that social workers in Wexford simply cannot deal with their caseloads. These social workers, who are part of the Minister of State's area of responsibility, lack sufficient resources to meet all the demands made of them. That article also reveals that hundreds of children who are at risk have not been allocated social workers and their cases are on the shelves of offices around the country. We are debating this Bill in the context of the Monageer report, which clearly reveals that two children and two adults were failed despite the fact they were contacted at a very early stage when the parents were recognised as having disabilities. Even though they were in contact with a range of organisations and were assessed by numerous experts, the system failed. The capacity of the HSE to assess couples on waiting lists is a serious matter.

Senator Norris has moved an amendment that develops for the first time in the context of this Bill the concept of an accredited body. This would involve a body other than the HSE which would operate to the standards set out in the Bill. It is critical that the highest standards apply to any agency working in this area. The Minister of State has stated he believes in the concept of an accredited body, perhaps after reflecting on the discussions in this House. However, he has not brought an amendment to provide for such an agency.

If we are serious about legislation and if words are to mean anything, now is the time to make such an amendment. This is our first opportunity to discuss an accredited body which would have delegated powers and responsibility for adoption assessment. I welcome the Minister of State's comments in this regard because for too long we have been approached by families who were distressed by the length of time assessments take. I do not for a moment claim this is a simple process and I recognise the issues involved are highly complex. Clearly, however, the State has failed to provide a workable and reasonable system. The endless delays only add to the distress of those who seek to adopt. Those who have shared their concerns with us about Vietnam and Russia have already experienced incredible delays in the adoption process. They have encountered social workers who were not replaced while on maternity leave and assessments which were promised but never happened or were postponed for two or three years. This is the context for our proposal on accredited bodies. If I thought the system was working, I would not call for the establishment of such bodies. It is clear, however, that the system is broken in terms of adoption assessments and we need to consider alternatives.

I look forward to hearing the Minister of State's response. He is probably the first Government Member to admit the system is broken. It is about time somebody did something about it in order to make a difference to people's lives. Ireland's adoption societies and agencies have built up significant expertise and can provide suitable staff for an accreditation organisation. The system could work if it were streamlined in this way. I welcome the Minister of State's change of heart, if the newspaper reports are correct, and I hope he will clarify whether he intends to proceed with the concept of an accredited body.