Will there ever be a chance for a gay person to adopt a kid in Ireland?

ewan whose army

I know this sounds weird but at 23 I am kinda broody and one day I want a family of my own, being gay the only ethical way of doing this is adoption. I heard Ireland has virtually none compared to say the UK. So unless I return over there (isn't really a plan) then what is a same gender couple supposed to do?

Annasopra

A single gay person can adopt at the moment
Gay couples can foster

The government seem to be indicating they will legislate for gay couples to jointly adopt in 2014

Annasopra

It's not weird at all.

I've wanted children since a very young age and had already decided my first daughters name

mango salsa

mango salsa wrote: »

I've wanted children since a very young age and had already decided my first daughters name

I never ever want children but still find myself thinking of names I like for hypothetical ones! Maybe I'll give those names to the seventy cats I'm inevitably gonna be living with in twenty years time.....

freshpopcorn

Well in 1993 it was illegal to be gay in Ireland.
In 2011 civil partnerships bill happened.
In 2015 there is meant to be a referendum to relies same sex marriage so things have come along ways.
So, I say yes some day gay couple might be aloud to adopt in Ireland.
Adoption isn't very common in Ireland at the moment tough.

Ambersky

Considering how difficult it is to adopt and how few children there are available it might be worth looking at some alternatives to adoption as well.

Lou.m

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2010/06/08/children-of-lesbian-couples-have-fewer-behaviour-problems/

well i dunno but i found this study.

By the way gay couples can foster children. I think that you can adopt as a single parent. But there are not many children to adopt it is not common.

Well in 1993 it was illegal to be gay in Ireland.
In 2011 civil partnerships bill happened.
In 2015 there is meant to be a referendum to relies same sex marriage so things have come along ways.
So, I say yes some day gay couple might be aloud to adopt in Ireland.
Adoption isn't very common in Ireland at the moment tough.

We have come a long way in a short time!

baby and crumble

In Ireland you have to go through a lengthy evaluation process to adopt a non relative of yours. And because of our constitution, it is rare that a child comes up for adoption out of family in the Irish system.

Nearly all individuals and couples in Ireland adopt from overseas. There are a number of countries that permit Irish adoptions, once you have satisfied Irish adoption social workers that you meet their (the country of origin, and Irish) conditions.

Any individual can apply to adopt in Ireland. Although this just means that you can be assessed by a social worker and given a certificate of ability to adopt- you are then responsible for going to a country and working with authorities there to find a child to adopt. A couple can apply for the same certificate, however the couple must be m-f and married. If you are in a gay cohabiting relationship, or are straight and in one, your partner will form part of the assessment but won't have any legal rights or responsibilities towards the child.

Be aware as well that many countries will not allow a gay person, regardless of relationship status adopt a child from their country. Others will not allow any single people to adopt, others have different age limits for adoptive parents. Every country has their own conditions that must be satisfied. This includes repeat visits from social workers for the first 18 months to 3 years of the child's life in Ireland, sometimes up to the age of 18.

I am curious why you said adoption was the 'only ethical' way of having a child if you a gay. There's always surrogacy, sperm donorship, etc. there's nothing illegal or immoral about them. They do, however, carry the same problem about custody and guardianship for partners of the biological parent.

hfallada

I dont see how its more "ethical" to go to a foreign country to adopt a child rather than use something like a surrogate. Adoption of Irish children is pretty much non-existent in Ireland, although its not uncommon to foster a child for like nearly 15-18 years. There is nothing wrong with using a surrogate. Even Mormons who dont drink coffee as its against their religion, often use surrogates. Although surrogacy is a legal grey area in Ireland ( like any other non-traditional ways of having children eg IVF). But in the future hopefully its cleared up.

Dr. Shrike

Ethical was probably the wrong word for him to use, but what he was presumably referring to the potential feeling that you're "buying" a baby. Though it would be interesting to discuss the philosophical difference between an infertile couple using IVF and paying a surrogate.

Take poor Indian women becoming surrogates, for example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeNZrfWiI9o

Compare that to these guys who adopted a child who would have been seen as "damaged goods" by most people looking to adopt http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59n7KINHxGI

ewan whose army

baby and crumble wrote: »

In Ireland you have to go through a lengthy evaluation process to adopt a non relative of yours. And because of our constitution, it is rare that a child comes up for adoption out of family in the Irish system.

Nearly all individuals and couples in Ireland adopt from overseas. There are a number of countries that permit Irish adoptions, once you have satisfied Irish adoption social workers that you meet their (the country of origin, and Irish) conditions.

Any individual can apply to adopt in Ireland. Although this just means that you can be assessed by a social worker and given a certificate of ability to adopt- you are then responsible for going to a country and working with authorities there to find a child to adopt. A couple can apply for the same certificate, however the couple must be m-f and married. If you are in a gay cohabiting relationship, or are straight and in one, your partner will form part of the assessment but won't have any legal rights or responsibilities towards the child.

Be aware as well that many countries will not allow a gay person, regardless of relationship status adopt a child from their country. Others will not allow any single people to adopt, others have different age limits for adoptive parents. Every country has their own conditions that must be satisfied. This includes repeat visits from social workers for the first 18 months to 3 years of the child's life in Ireland, sometimes up to the age of 18.

I am curious why you said adoption was the 'only ethical' way of having a child if you a gay. There's always surrogacy, sperm donorship, etc. there's nothing illegal or immoral about them. They do, however, carry the same problem about custody and guardianship for partners of the biological parent.

Surrogacy just seems like you are putting a women who you have no real feelings for through a pregnancy etc. just for yourself, I dont think its fair on the Mum or the Kid.

I will probably end up in the UK again at some point in my life (since I am a uk citizen) so yeah I may adopt there, it seems common enough since I know 2 guys who were adopted over there.

baby and crumble

ewan whose army wrote: »

Surrogacy just seems like you are putting a women who you have no real feelings for through a pregnancy etc. just for yourself, I dont think its fair on the Mum or the Kid.

There are many women who enjoy being surrogate mothers, as strange as it may seem to some people. There are also women who would do this for a friend, or family member should the need arise. I know I have offered to act as surrogate to a friend of mine who is unable to have more children because of a cancer diagnosis. If everyone is volunteering and aware of the legal ramifications then I see nothing unethical about it.

And as for the the ethical impacts of inter country adoption- while of course there are many many unscrupulous people in the world who will take advantage of vulnerable women who are desperate for money- it would be foolish to say that there isn't a black market for children. But there are also millions of children around the world who need a family, and who have none. Those children are in re care of their state and won't be adopted in their own country for many different reasons. I fail to see how raising them and being their parent and giving them a loving home and a family is a bad thing, for anyone. In particular if a real effort is made to ensure their own cultural background is kept an important part of their- and their families- lives.

giveth

Laws for adoption by same sex couples are currently being written up. They want to get it enacted before the marriage equality referendum in 2015 as they don't want this to be an issue for the referendum.

Ironically, even though adoption by same sex couples is more controversial among the general public than gay marriage, no referendum is needed to get it passed.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/new-laws-to-allow-adoption-by-same-sex-couples-1.1598254

Annasopra

It does look like the government may legislate in this area this year

www.thejournal.ie/lgbt-parenting-shatter-1275706-Jan2014/

www.thejournal.ie/shatter-legislation-parental-rights-surrogacy-lgbt-1275403-Jan2014/