Sir, - Your editorial (July 20th) links funding to clear a backlog for couples seeking assessments to urgent child protection services. Proper funding of services are not mutually exclusive in these days of healthy tax returns.
The Minister of State, by suggesting a charge of £4,000 to have such assessments carried out, is only contributing further to the financial and psychological cost of adoption.
When The Hague convention is ratified, will the Minister then introduce charges for matching children and couples, thus further increasing the cost of adoption? After all the same funding argument will apply.
It is after all "in the best interest of the child." Whose child? - Yours, etc.
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John Farrell, Naas, Co Kildare.