The Minister for Children, Ms Mary Hanafin, has again appealed to health boards to assist in prompter assessment of couples in the Dublin region for inter-country adoption.
Speaking at a conference on inter-country adoption in Kilkenny yesterday, she said: "I am very concerned about the delays being experienced by applicants for inter-country adoption assessment in the Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA)."
The number of applicants awaiting assessment at the end of 2001 was 477 for first assessment and 61 for second assessment. This is despite substantial increased funding by the Government to the authority to improve the system.
Delays have arisen over the last few years because of an increased interest in inter-country adoption, and difficulties being experienced in the ERHA region in recruiting social workers.
In the last four years improvements have been put in place to facilitate couples who wish to adopt from abroad:
a standardised framework for inter-country adoption assessment was introduced to streamline assessments and to provide a transparent system centred on the child's best interests and respectful to all parties;
additional funding has been provided to reduce the time spent by couples on waiting lists;
working agreements have been made with China, Thailand, Belarus and the Philippines;
legislation is being prepared to ratify the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation "in respect of inter-country adoption" 1993.
the recommendations of the organisation and management review of the Adoption Board are being implemented.
Despite funding being provided in the ERHA area for more than 20 social workers to carry out assessments, by the end of last year there were only 9.5 social workers in the service. "This is leading to intolerable delays for couples who have already experienced a lot of personal trauma," she said.
Extra administrative personnel and office facilities have also been provided to free up social workers to concentrate on assessments and to reduce travelling time.
"It is unacceptable that couples in Dublin should wait three times longer than the rest of the country and many have advised me they would be willing to travel anywhere for assessment," said Ms Hanafin.
"I have put the ERHA in touch with the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering with a view to seeing if they are in a position to co-operate in assisting the ERHA in carrying out inter-country adoption assessments."