Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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353. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when the Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017 will be commenced; when the section that provides for the adoption of a child by their step parent without the requirement for the child's other parent to adopt their own child will be commenced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44593/17]

Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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363. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the commencement of all sections of the Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017, in particular the adoption of a child by their step parent without the requirement for the child’s other parent to adopt his or her own child; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [44670/17]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 353 and 363 together.

I have signed the Commencement Order to give effect to the provisions in the Adoption (Amendment) Act 2017. All the provisions of the Act other than Section 24(1)(a) were commenced on the 19th of October 2017.

Section 24(1)(a) provides that before making an application for a child to be adopted because of parental failure, Tusla - the Child and Family Agency must be satisfied that every reasonable effort has been made to support the parents of the child in question. This provision will come in to operation on the 1st of February 2018.