Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 73: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if further consideration has been given to the contracting out of adoption assessments to a registered adoption agency in order to remove the burden from the Health Service Executive and speed up the assessment process. [25159/08]

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 74: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason it takes almost seven years to effect an inter-country adoption and that there is a two year wait before a second assessment begins; and the action being taken to deal with such delays. [25160/08]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 73 and 74 together.

The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE) under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

As the Deputy may be aware, requests for assessment for intercountry adoption are continuously increasing. The recent study on intercountry adoption, undertaken by the Children's Research Centre in Trinity College, revealed that Ireland has one of the highest rates for foreign adoption in Europe. In addition, as a result of the increased number of children coming from abroad, a new and increasing demand for post-adoption reports from sending countries has been created. Both assessments and post-placement reports are being undertaken by HSE social work staff.

The HSE has been assessing the provision of services in the context of moving from the health board system to a single executive. It has acknowledged that there is a divergence in the provision of services and is committed to addressing those differences. In a number of areas, the HSE has improved waiting times by contracting assessments out to non-statutory agencies with appropriate expertise. It is important to note that couples find it frustrating that subsequent to undergoing an assessment with the HSE and receiving the Declaration of Eligibility and Suitability from the Adoption Board they must then wait before receiving a referral for a child from the sending country (for some countries up to two years). This is an aspect that is outside the jurisdiction of the HSE and is dependant on the regulations that each individual country has with regard to Intercountry Adoption

The HSE has undertaken a review of the intercountry adoption service. This review examined staffing, business processes, resources, strengths and options within the service and considered, inter alia, the issue of the commissioning of other providers to undertake some of the work associated with the assessment process. The HSE has indicated that it will contact the Department with a proposed strategy on the management of the service into the future based on this work and parallel discussions with professionals within the service. I would like to assure the Deputy of my attention to this issue and reiterate the importance of a rigorous and effective assessment system.