Senator Averil Power urges foster care bill

The Government must move quickly to draft legislation to allow children in foster care to be adopted, senator Averil Power has urged, in line with the Children’s Rights Referendum, which was passed in 2012.

“It’s important that legislation be brought through as fast as possible. The Children’s referendum removed the constitutional barrier to legislation, but now we need a bill,” Ms Power said, speaking after an Adoption Seminar in UCC. A legal challenge to the referendum’s amendment to article 42A of the constitution was dismissed by the Supreme Court in April, clearing the way for new legislation.

The awaited changes will allow children with living parents, no matter what their marital status, to be put up for adoption if they have been in care for a length of time determined by law. The child’s opinion must also be taken into consideration.