Family legislation most important change in a generation, head of AAI says

The Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 is the most important change in family law in a generation and will have significant implications for adoption practice, the chairman of the Adoption Authority of Ireland has said.

Speaking in advance of a seminar today on the implications of the legislation for adoption, Geoffrey Shannon said the law places the best interests of the child at the centre of all decisions on custody, guardianship and adoption.

In the past, sole applicants, regardless of sexual orientation, could be assessed for adoption, but the new legislation means cohabiting couples, who have lived together for three years, and civil partners can be considered for adoption.

“The best interests of the child has been and will continue to be the overarching requirement in determining whether a married couple, a cohabiting couple, civil partners or a sole applicant are suitable to adopt,” Dr Shannon said.

He also said the legislation offers guardianship to stepparents as an alternative option to adoption and enables a wider range of unmarried fathers to become guardians of their child automatically.

It will also “impose more onerous requirements on the authority in respect of birth father consultation”, he said.

The seminar is opened by Minister for Children James Reilly and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald will address it.

Speaking ahead of the seminar, Dr Reilly said legislation is sometimes out of tune with the complex realities of modern family life. He said the Act is child-centred and family centred and a “major step forward in terms of equality for children.

“This act will provide Irish children with stability and certainty in terms of their parentage and guardianship and provide many families with a level of security they’ve not had up to now,” he said.