Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 130: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, in the matter of inter country adoptions of children from Vietnam, she foresees a bilateral agreement with Vietnam and Ireland in place before he Adoption Bill is passed; if there will be a shorter waiting time for assessments; if, in agreeing to introduce agencies to assess applicants, this will result in applicants having to apply to the Health Service Executive in the first instance but as the Bill provides that such independent agencies must refer all completed assessments back to the HSE for final approvals this will result in another waiting list in the HSE; if the HSE will be asked to manage applications in a manner which will reduce waiting times; if she will introduce a grandfather clause which would allow adoptive applicants to conduct a subsequent adoption from a country they have already adopted from; if a sole applicant wishing to adopt will have the same statutory right to an assessment as married applicants in view of the fact that there is a change in the nature of family structures here ; if it will be possible to adopt children from non-Hague or non-bilateral countries in view of the fact that the Hague Convention requires member states to operate to the Hague Convention standards but does not preclude adoption from non-Hague Convention countries. [43761/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Adoption Bill 2009 is designed to give force of law to the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption. The new legislation, which incorporates the provisions of the Hague Convention, is designed to provide a framework to ensure that appropriate procedures have been followed and that all adoptions are effected in the best interests of the child. Future intercountry adoption arrangements will be governed by the terms of the Adoption Bill 2009 when enacted. The issue of transitional measures for prospective parents who are at a definable stage in the adoption process when the Bill is enacted and who wish to continue to adopt a child from a non-Hague, non-bilateral country, is being examined. Prospective adoptive parents have waited a long time and it is my intention to be as flexible as possible in relation to applicants. I received the UNICEF report, Adoption from Vietnam: Problems and Challenges, which was carried out by the International Social Service on 23 November. This report will be considered by Government and it will inform decisions with regard to future adoptions from Vietnam.

In relation to the issue of assessments, I acknowledge that persons applying for inter-country adoption are currently experiencing unacceptably long delays as regards waiting times for assessment. Requests for assessment for inter-country adoption are continuously increasing and Ireland has one of the highest rates for inter-country adoption in Europe. The Health Service Executive has responsibility for the assessments of applicants for adoption through its social work service. I have asked the Health Service Executive to do everything possible to reduce waiting times and assessment times for prospective adopters which currently are excessively long. Assessment involves a number of stages and would generally include an initial assessment, a considerable level of education/preparation work, including an exploration with prospective adoptive parents of the challenges and issues that are likely to arise when undertaking adoption) and a home study assessment. The length of the assessment process can vary between applicants depending on the particular circumstances of each case, bearing in mind at all times the best interests of the child. Applicants found to be suitable to be adoptive parents are granted a Declaration of Eligibility and Suitability by the Adoption Board and may then pursue the adoption of a child abroad with the selected sending country. Steps are being taken to improve the process. Monthly information meetings are assisting prospective applicants in self-selecting if they are suitable adoptive parents and have resulted in reduced waiting lists. More significantly, they are ensuring that those applicants who are eligible and suitable are being given a more expedient service.

The Health Service Executive has also introduced a nationwide system of application to reduce the waiting lists by over 35% in the coming 12 months. Under this new system, which was introduced in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow in September 2008, prospective applicants are invited to provide their complete pack of documentation at the point of application and these are then screened by the administration and social work teams with a view to highlighting any areas of concern as quickly as possible. This affords suitably motivated prospective applicants the opportunity to progress their application while others who are considered less suitable are fully informed before proceeding. My office is continuing to work to create the appropriate legislative, policy and administrative frameworks to ensure a well regulated regime of adoption. The aim is to support children for whom adoption services are devised and provided and, also, to protect prospective adoptive parents. As regards the issue of introducing a 'grandfather' clause in the new legislation, this issue was previously given careful and detailed consideration in the preparation of the legislation and it was decided against including such a provision in the Bill as it would represent a considerable dilution of the intent of the legislation in terms of setting improved standards for inter-country adoption. Section 10 of the Adoption Act 1991 allows for a sole applicant to adopt a child. This provision has been carried forward in the Adoption Bill 2009.