Rónán Mullen (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I will address my amendment and support Senator Healy Eames's amendment. We are discussing the issue that is at the heart of the Bill. It arose yesterday in the context of our debate on DAHR and arises in this debate in the context of adoption. In what circumstances is it okay and accurate for us to claim that, all matters being equal, it is better that a child be raised by his or her father and mother or by a father and mother? When discussing adoption, the emphasis is on the desirability of a father and mother except where the best interests of the child are otherwise.

The current position on adoption is that the law provides two tiers of eligibility, namely, the eligibility and suitability stages of assessment. In the former, the law provides that a married couple, a widow or widower or a single person related to the child in question may apply to adopt. That provision is without qualification.