Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 93: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on the Law Reform Commission's report, Aspects of Inter-country Adoption Law, published in February 2008 regarding the strain placed on the resources of social workers and the lack of official statistics documenting the number of domestic adoption and inter-country adoption breakdowns or disruptions; if she has considered the section which indicates a need for a well resourced post-adoption service staffed by professionals including counsellors with full and up-to-date knowledge of all the pertinent issues in inter-country adoption to ensure the welfare of children and adoptive families who voluntarily come forward to access the service are protected and supported; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24287/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Adoption Bill, 2009, was published in January of this year. Under the new Bill, there is no specific provision to provide post-adoption services for children and families who have additional needs. Adopted children and their families who have additional needs have, and will continue to have, the same eligibility and entitlements to health, personal social services and special education needs as any family in Ireland.

However, the Bill does make statutory provision for the notification by adoptive parents of the adoption on return to Ireland with a child. This notification must be made both to the Adoption Authority for the purposes of registering the child as well as to the HSE, so that the child receives all of the normal child health surveillance services available through the public health system.

Of course, the allocation of resources for services that may be required in such cases is a matter for the HSE.

I have asked the HSE to collate the data, such that are available, in relation to adoption breakdowns and I will revert to the Deputy directly as soon as the information becomes available.