Inter-Country Adoptions
As the Adoption Bill has been making its way through the legislative procedure, Fine Gael has been pushing the Government to include transitional arrangements for inter-country adoptions, so that those who have already been assessed for foreign adoption are not left in limbo.
Lucinda has had a number of meetings with couples affected by the changes in the adoption process, especially those who had hoped to adopt under bi-lateral agreements with Vietnam, Russia and Ethiopia who now find themselves left in limbo, and she fully supports them in the campaign for an equitable solution that recognises the long and arduous process they have been through in the hope of adopting.
The Health and Children Committee is presently processing the Committee Stage of the Adoption Bill 2009. Various amendments to the Bill including an amendment with regard to providing for transitional arrangements in respect of inter-country adoption have been tabled by Fine Gael.
In particular, Alan Shatter TD, Fine Gael Spokesperson on Children has proposed an amendment which would allow those already in the adoption system to continue with the process:
“Nothing contained in this Act shall prevent any person or married couple who applied to the HSE to be assessed for an intercountry adoption prior to the 1st January 2009 and subsequently obtain a declaration of suitability to adopt from effecting such adoption and having such adoption recognised under the law applicable prior to the coming into operation of this Act.”.
However the Government cannot unfortunately be forced to adopt this. Fine Gael will continue to campaign for the Government to introduce measures so that those who have already been assessed for adoption of children from countries such as Vietnam, Ethiopia, Russia are not disappointed.
A transcript of the Committee Stage of the Bill may be accessed via this link:
http://debates.oireachtas.ie/CommitteeMenu.aspx?Dail=30&Cid=HE
A list of the amendments tabled by Fine Gael may be accessed via this link: http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/amendments/b0209s-dsc3.pdf
