Number of adoptions decreases by over a third
The number of adoptions in Ireland has decreased by 35% over the past five years.
According to the Adoption Authority of Ireland, there were 112 domestic adoptions in 2014.
This figure fell to 72 last year, with only 34 in the first six months of this year.
Fianna Fáil's spokesperson on children, Anne Rabbitte, says the decline is a concern: "When you're talking in small figures like that, it;s hard to believe there isn't more people seeking the adoption route.
"It's a low number to be honest with you and it's something that I will be raising proabably with one of our Oireachtas Committee meetings is a review of it just in the fact that it's nearly 2 years since the act came in to place in relations to families choosing to come in to foster care or young persons themselves self selecting to be adopted."
