Adoption debacle seals my ‘no’ vote

The State has allowed for the legal adoption of children, as an alternative form of childcare, to take place since 1952.

Since then nearly 50,000 adoption orders have been granted. The State in this 60-year period has failed to conduct any scientific assessments and research into the impact, beneficial or otherwise, adoption has had on these children. A very strange, if not suspicious, some may say even reckless, situation.

Despite this, the Government seeks legal powers to extend adoptions to all children. It also seeks to extend these powers to place a grave legal obligation on children to make an informed decision as to whether or not they wish to be adopted.

Some people think it’s a great option for children — “give them a second chance of a family life”. Others say absolutely not — “extinguishing children’s legal relationships with natural families causes trauma later on”. But, either way, no one really knows.

In the absence of solid information, no one can speak with authority on it.

This being the case, how can anyone let alone a child make anything close to a fully informed decision on this issue?

Why should anyone be put in the position of being asked to support extending something that its proponent, who has had 60 years available to study, cannot support with any facts?

As demonstrated above, a ‘yes’ vote is a vote for the unknown. As such I have no option other than to vote ‘no’.

Kevin Cooney

Killester

Dublin 5