The waiting list of Irish couples seeking foreign adoptions has soared from 650 to 1,500 in the last five years but the number of social workers assessing their applications has remained static in the same period. Deaglán de Bréadún, Political Correspondent, reports.
Ireland now has one of the highest rates of foreign adoption in Europe.
The Health Service Executive recently appointed an outside consultant to review its inter-country adoption service, including staffing and resources. Proposals for improvement are to be presented to Minister of State for Health and Children Brendan Smith in the near future.
Fine Gael TD Jim O'Keeffe has complained that in the meantime children around the world are being left languishing in orphanages, "many of them grim", while "great emotional pressure" was being placed on applicant couples.
"Irish couples now have to wait five years for an assessment and the wait is getting longer all the time," he said. He added that a failure to increase the number of assessment staff meant couples were facing "ever-tougher barriers" in securing foreign adoptions.
"Adoption assessments are completed almost exclusively by the HSE, yet the number of assessment staff available actually fell from 46 to 45 this year," he said.
In a letter to Mr O'Keeffe on December 11th, Mr Smith said the HSE had appointed an outside consultant to review its inter-country adoption service.
"This review will examine and consider staffing, business processes, resources, strengths, and alternative methods of providing the service. It is anticipated that the review will take several weeks to complete.
"The HSE have indicated that they will contact the department before the end of the year with their proposals to improve this service," Mr Smith wrote.
In a written answer to a Dáil question from Mr O'Keeffe last October, Mr Smith said a recent study on inter-country adoption by the Children's Research Centre in Trinity College Dublin "revealed that Ireland has one of the highest rates for foreign adoption in Europe. In addition, as a result of the increased number of children coming from abroad, a new and increasing demand for post-adoption reports from sending countries has been created.
"Both assessments and post-placement reports are being undertaken by HSE social work staff."
Mr O'Keeffe said he previously highlighted this issue two years ago, when the waiting-period was four years, but although improvements were promised, the situation had actually got worse.
"The then minister for children Brian Lenihan outlined 'practical' measures that were in place to tackle the ever-increasing waiting list for inter-country assessments.
"Additional funding of €1 million was promised to tackle the backlog of applicants, while the application process was supposed to be improved," he said.
"Since then the number of social workers has actually decreased."
"Once parents finally get through the Irish system, many face a further wait in the country of adoption, and it can take a total of eight years before they can finally bring their child home. For example, adoptions in China can take between two and three years.
"These delays are a particular burden to middle-aged couples, who may feel that their child-rearing days are numbered and accordingly feel under great emotional pressure."
He called on the Government "to clear the current backlog in the system within a specified timeframe of two years".