Statistics on adoption rates in Ireleand in the 2000's ?

MikeHar

Hi,

Does anyone know what the general trend in adoptions in modern Ireland is (eg since 2000) ? Are there more children put up for adoption than there are families looking to adopt, or is it the other way around ? Given that I hear about people adopting from abroad I would assume there are more families than babies available but is this true ?

Thanks,

Mike.

The_Conductor

MikeHar wrote: »

Hi,

Does anyone know what the general trend in adoptions in modern Ireland is (eg since 2000) ? Are there more children put up for adoption than there are families looking to adopt, or is it the other way around ? Given that I hear about people adopting from abroad I would assume there are more families than babies available but is this true ?

Thanks,

Mike.

Hi Mike- the actual statistics are in the annual reports of the Adoption Authority (a copy of which for each year is in the Oireachtas library- which any member can sign you in to view- or the annual reports from 2006 onwards can be viewed/downloaded from here........

Actual adoptions in Ireland peaked in 1974- which was the year in which children's benefit first became payable to single parents (despite the express and shrill complaints from the Catholic church (alongside a remarkable collection of representations against paying children's benefit to single mothers- which are in the public domain).

Once mothers became eligible to claim children's benefit- the same as any married parent- the number of adoptions started a rapid decline- which amply suggests that a significant number of the adoptions in Ireland were a result of the economic inability of single mothers to adequately provide for their children- while married women received assistance. The gross hypocrisy of this seems to have escaped politicians and society in general- and despite the appalling social stigma of being a single mother in those days- increasing numbers of mothers from that time onwards- kept their children, and brought up many many children on their own- many of whom are notable people in Irish society today in their own right.

From 1980 onwards- the trend was increasingly for inter-family adoptions- that is a child born to one family member was often adopted by a sister or an aunt- and very often the child would have grown up- without realising that Aunty Áine- was actually their birth mum..........

There were a series of consultations held in the late 90s/early noughties- the most memorable of which was by the late Brian Lenihan, when he was then Minister for Children (the post now held by Minister Zappone). Many of these were chaired by Geoffrey Shannon- and many adopted people, myself included, had vigorous debates with Geoffrey Shannon- agreeing on some points- and voiciferously disagreeing on others. I've sent a few family law cases in his direction down the years- no hard feelings, hes good at what he does, and while he would recognise me- he'd have no idea from where, if we were in the same room..........

There were numerous agreements and disagreements- about Ireland signing the Hague Convention, how this might impact on 'the availability of children from other jurisdictions that are not party to the Hague convention' and distractions for many people- discussing social and societal norms- and whether or not it would be better for the Irish to support single mothers in deprived countries- rather than seeking to import their children into Ireland......... Eventually- some of these sacrificial lambs were slaughtered- and the ironic reality of foreign adoptions into Ireland- commenced.

I never really paid much attention to the actual numbers of foreign adoptions in Ireland- but as my children encountered more and more obvious adopted children- my curiosity was piqued.

I hope the above links to the annual reports from the AAI since 2006- help to give you a little flavour of the new adoption 'norm' in Ireland- I probably have hard copies of the reports from 1994 onwards in storage that I can access.

Hope this helps a little.........