Return to: The tools you will need
What is it
Media watching is keeping a record of anything in the media (TV, Radio, Printed media, Cinema, News, etc.) that relates to the topics of adoption and other topics linked to how intercountry option is portrayed, and how it would impact a child subjected to these messages.
It includes but is not limited to:
- Adoption;
- Intercountry adoption;
- Corruption and illegalities in intercountry adoption, baby buying and selling, crowded orphanages, etc;
- Immigrants, asylum seekers, refugees, travellers, beggars;
- Any group identified by reference to their biological characteristics alone;
- Female infanticide, population gender imbalance;
- Religious conflicts;
- The image the media in Ireland gives of potential “countries of origin”;
- The messages the child receives about herself.
It will be reported on at the beginning of each session.
It will often highlight intercountry adoption as a matter of public concern.
It raises the important issue of ‘telling the intercountry adoption story’ and the significance of this to the adopted person’s identity.
It introduces the theme ‘‘it takes a community to raise a child’’.
When is it used
It is used in the first session of the third phase: introduction to the preparation course to intercountry adoption and to the standards for homestudy assessments.
It is one of the first tasks you will have to do after the first session, and throughout the “group”.
It can also be a part of the “adoption story” for a child who has no information about her own past.
Tips and tricks
Think critically and literally. Pay special attention to the “hidden” messages.
Reflect on how accurate the information is.
Resources
- 1989 - Immediate familyLinda and Michael, married for ten years, desperately want a baby and turn to an adoption agency which introduces them to Lucy, a teenage girl expecting her first baby. The three agree that Linda and Michael will adopt Lucy's baby and that Lucy will sign away custody. Things don't go quite to plan however...
- 1996: Secret and liesSuccessful 'black' woman traces her birth mother to a lower-class 'white' woman, who denies it; emotions run high as everyone's secrets are exposed.
- 2005 – The islandA man goes on the run after he discovers that he is actually a "harvested being", and is being kept along with others in a utopian facility. His first realization is when he sees a clone giving birth for the benefit of a childless couple, before being "sent to the Island".
- 2009-07-27: Adoption waiting lists to be cut with revamped systemSteps are underway to reduce the often-gruelling waiting times faced by people hoping to adopt a child. People wanting to adopt are facing years of delays in some cases, before their applications and assessments are finalised.
- 2009-08: District 9, or is it District 6...The story, adapted from Alive in Joburg, a 2005 short film directed by Blomkamp, pivots on the themes of xenophobia and social segregation. The title and premise of District 9 were inspired by events that took place in District Six, Cape Town during the apartheid era.
- 2009-11: The blind sideThe story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.
- 2009-12: InvictusNelson Mandela, in his first term as the South African President, initiates a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
- 2010-02-08: The curious case of Tristan DowseAn Irish couple adopted a little Indonesian boy. When things didn't work out, they placed the toddler in an orphanage in his home country.
- 2010-04-09: Adopted Russian boy, 7, returned by US mother on one-way flight to Moscow... aloneA US nurse put a seven-year-old Siberian boy she had adopted from a Russian orphanage on a one-way flight to Moscow with a note saying "I no longer wish to parent this child", when she found she could no longer cope with him.
- 2010-04-13: Corrie star says she wants to adoptThe actress, who plays Becky McDonald in the soap, said that her character's storyline made her realise that she would love to adopt.
- 2010-04: Fair City star talks about big storylinePaul will be forced to choose between attending Rachel's parent-teacher meeting or going to the adoption agency with Yvonne.
- 2010-07-19: Civil Partnership Bill signed into lawThe Civil Partnership Bill etc., provides legal recognition for same-sex couples in Ireland for the first time. It extends marriage-like benefits to gay and lesbian couples in the areas of property, social welfare, succession, maintenance, pensions and tax. It also impacts cohabitating couples in general.
- 2010-08-06: Sarkozy under fire over sharp anti-Roma rhetoricControversial vow to crack down on Gypsy criminals has brought the subject of Roma rights back into sharp focus across Europe, and has tensed relationships with Bulgaria and Romania.
- 2010-08-14: Scandals at home and abroad have shaken boardTHE Adoption Board has been at the centre of a number of scandals concerning how domestic and foreign adoptions have been carried out since adoption was made legal in 1952.
- 2010-08-22: Campaigners in Dublin ‘march for marriage’The LGBT campaign group 'Noise' organised a march to promote civil marriage for LGBT people. The Civil Partnership Bill, while allowing a gay couple to pay taxes as a couple, does not provide legal protections for LGBT parents and their children.
- 2010-08-22: South Africa, pre-teens are having plenty of unsafe sex, shock survey findsPupils as young as 12 are having unprotected sex - some of them with multiple partners. A total of 253 out of 665 pupils from five schools in Pretoria admitted to being sexually active. And 48 - or nearly one out of every five of the children having sex - said they had had two or more sexual partners in the past 12 months. At least six of the pupils engaging in risky sex are in primary school.
- 2010-08-23: Adoption Rights Alliance, survivors and politicians calling for inquiry into trials of vaccinesControversial vaccine trials were carried out in the 1960s and 1970s, on children in the care of the State without proper information being made available or the full consent of their parents or guardians.
- 2010-08-23: Coronation Street – Becky is turned down for AdoptionSteve and Becky's adoption application had been turned down. They think it is because she lied about smoking, it turns out that some of their references had gone against them.
- 2010-08-25: Gay pride march in Kathmandu (Dominic Hannigan, gay Irish MP, took part in the parade)Hundreds of homosexuals, dressed in vibrant colours, danced through city streets carrying banners appealing for an end to discrimination.
- 2010-08-27: South-Africa – Fighting talk as Vavi threatens general strikeCOSATU general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi's speech brought central Johannesburg to a standstill as thousands of public servants filled the streets in solidarity against government's wage offer.
- 2010-08-27: Victims, adoption groups and opposition parties are now demanding a full investigation into all the vaccine trials on children in state careTHE Government was told about secret vaccine trials at least six years ago but has refused to investigate them ever since.
- 2010-08-31: Asylum seekers stage Mosney protestControversial move of unmarried asylum seekers from the Mosney Accommodation Centre to Hatch Hall in Dublin. Plan aims at saving on costs; protesters have health concerns and would prefer to see the reduction in cost achieve by speeding up the application process.
- 2010-09-01: Launch of Arc Adoption, have your sayArc Adoption has already been approved in principle by the Adoption Board of Ireland, and looks forward to completing their accreditation once the Adoption Authority of Ireland is established, before the end of 2010.
- 2010-09-01: Modern Family – Gays To Kiss At LastProducers say that was a mere accident that the couple, played by Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, didn’t kiss during season one, but they plan to make good on it during the upcoming season.
- 2010-09-01: Vuvuzelas banned by UEFAIn the specific context of South Africa, the vuvuzela adds a touch of local flavour and folklore, but UEFA feels that the instrument's widespread use would not be appropriate in Europe, where a continuous loud background noise would be emphasized.
- 2010-09-02: The switchAn unmarried 40-year-old woman turns to a turkey baster in order to become pregnant. Seven years later, she reunites with her best friend, who has been living with a secret: he replaced her preferred sperm sample with his own.
- 2010-09-03: 15 women rescued in sex trafficking raidsFifteen women were rescued as police raided a series of brothels in a major crackdown on human trafficking in the North.
- 2010-09-03: President Mary McAleese to make a four day visit to RussiaPresident Mary McAleese will make a four day visit to Russia next week in a bid to build business links between the countries, it was disclosed today.
- 2010-09-03: Travellers’ life expectancy still lags far behindTHE life expectancy for men in the travelling community is just 61 years -- the same as it was more than two decades ago, a major report warned. This is 15 years less than men in the general population. This is equivalent to the life expectancy of the general population in the 1940s.
- 2010-09-04: Criminal Minds – image of adopted children, and alternative familiesA number of cases involve adopted children who are turning criminal in their quest to seeking their identity, their parents, their past, etc.; and resolving their adoption-related neurosis. It also involves a number of cases surrounding women or couples abducting children, and "gypsy" couples abducting children to provide slave wifes to their sons, and a cancer-stricken grieving mother whose husbands abducts and rapes women to provide her with her lost son.
- 2010-09-04: Elite paedophile ring that targeted orphans is jailedAt the conclusion of the longest trial in Portugal's history, seven defendants were convicted of using the orphanages to rape and abuse scores of teenage boys.
- 2010-09-04: Operation Doorsteps: Gardaí smash immigration scamIllegal immigrants destroy papers and pose as minors to be taken into HSE care.
- 2010-09-04: Ugly Betty - Claire's adopted son Tyler (Series 4 story line)
- 2010-09-05: Allah Akbar gargoyle on the Lyon CathedralA new gargoyle was put up on the Lyon cathedral, the seat of the Archbishop of Lyon, in honor of Benzizine Ahmed, the Muslim foreman who led the restoration work on the cathedral tower. The gargoyle stands over a sign saying "Allah Akbar" (God is greatest) in both Arabic and French.
- 2010-09-08: Judge Judy (former family court judge)Frequently Judge Judy is dealing with cases involving family disputes, and some of the time adoption, foster care or surrogacy.
- 2010-09-10: Unmarked babies' graves revealedAlmost 220 unmarked graves for forgotten babies who died at the Bethany Home in Rathgar are said to have been discovered
- 2010-09-12: Implicit Association Test: are you racist?
- 2010-09-12: Newborn found in airport rubbishAuthorities at Manila airport in the Philippines have found a newborn baby in a rubbish bag apparently unloaded from a plane that landed in the city from the Middle East.
- 2010-09-12: Norris leads pack in presidential raceCould the most famous proudly gay politician become the next tenant of Áras an Uachtaráin?
- 2010-09-12: South Africa, sexual abuse stats ‘untrue’Women and children's rights organisations claim the latest sexual offences statistics don't reflect the magnitude of the problem in South Africa. "When the day comes that I stop getting reports from our offices around the country that children have not been turned away when trying to report rape, then only will I believe the rape statistics," said Van Niekerk.
- 2010-09-13: Irish couples may adopt from three new countries (Bulgaria, South Africa and Thailand)Irish couples will be able to adopt children from Bulgaria, South Africa and Thailand through administrative agreements being discussed by the Adoption Board under the new Adoption Act.
- 2010-09-13: Irish Pink Adoptions on RTE1 Radio, 9amBecause of the recent announcement about adoption being soon open for South-Africa, Bulgaria, and Thailand, LGBT adopters can celebrate, as South-Africa is themost likely country of origin for us, and it allows LGBT applicants.
- 2010-09-13: More foreign adoptions likely with new country agreements (Bulgaria, South Africa and Thailand)Brian O'Callaghan, International Adoption Association, says that negotiations have begun between Ireland and Bulgaria, South Africa and Thailand for adoptions
- 2010-09-13: State gives private companies €182m to run asylum centresNew records show how the slow pace of Ireland's asylum process has proved a cash cow for a small number of companies who secured major state contracts. With some asylum cases taking up to six years to finalise, the business of providing applicants with food and shelter has been a lucrative one.
- 2010-09-14: Sarkozy receives slap on wrist from EU commission over his targetting of Romas, and duplicityEU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding rebuked the French government over a leaked memo which 'openly contradicted' assurances given by two ministers to the Commission that specific ethnic groups had not been targeted in France. (Mostly for political gain with the extreme-right electorate)
- 2010-09-14: UK child border procedures defendedIn a Newsnight probe, welfare groups criticised the failure of the UK Border Agency to tell all adults accompanying children about private fostering law. They said this left many children unregistered and vulnerable to abuse.
- 2010-09-15: 67% support gay marriage, 91% support civil partnership, only 38% oppose same-gender couples adoptions (46% support)A poll suggests strong support for gay marriage (67%), a significant majority (60 per cent) also believe civil partnerships for gay couples will not undermine the institution of marriage. A large majority (91 per cent) also say they would not think less of a person if they revealed they were gay or lesbian.These numbers are consistently high across most age groups, as well as in urban and rural areas.People are divided, however, on whether gay couples should be allowed to adopt children. Some 46 per cent support such a move, while more than a third (38 per cent) are opposed.
- 2010-09-16: Call for civil marriage legislationGay rights campaigners have called on the Government to legislate for civil marriage for same-sex couples following an Irish Times /Behaviour & Attitudes poll which showed a large majority of people in support of such a move.
- 2010-09-17: NELFA CONFERENCE ON LGBT FAMILIES 2010
- 2010-09-18: Kidnap son convinces father to surrenderA 20-YEAR-old man who police say was abducted by his father 17 years ago during a messy divorce apparently read a newspaper article about his disappearance and persuaded his father to turn himself in. (USA)
- 2010-09-19: Life UnexpectedAfter spending all of her 15 years bouncing from one foster family to another, Lux has decided it's time to take control of her life and files to become an emancipated minor. She ends up with her two biological parents.
- 2010-09-20: Bulgaria institutions for mentally disabled children under parBulgarian Helsinki Committee announces the results of the inspections carried out in the country’s institutions for mentally disabled children. Hundreds of child deaths, avoidable but never investigated, a large proportion of which caused by malnutrition. The current state of the social institutions for children reveals malnutrition, violence, physical and chemical restraint.
- 2010-09-21: South African and Bulgarian adoption stories on RTE1 "Four Live", 4pmGiven that South Africa will be one of the few options for pink families, it will be interesting to watch the interview of a couple who successfully adopted from South Africa.
- 2010-09-23: McAleese turns down role in NY St Patrick's parade, LGBT groups approvePresident Mary McAleese has insisted that "scheduling constraints" and a very busy final year in office were behind her decision not to accept an invitation to be grand marshal of the New York St Patrick's Day parade. Irish-American commentator Niall O'Dowd insisted that Mrs McAleese's decision was connected to the issue of gays being refused the right to march in the parade under their own banners.
- 2010-09-24: South African's Heritage DayHeritage Day, 24 September, is a Public Holiday on which South Africans across the spectrum are encouraged to celebrate their cultural heritage and the diversity of their beliefs and traditions, in the wider context of a nation that belongs to all its people.
- 2010-10-05: Hollyoaks, stolen baby story lineSinead reveals to a stunned Lynsey that her mum’s stolen the baby, Diane breaks down.
- 2010-10-05: RTE1, Do the right thing: Journey To BelarusThe volunteers travel to Belarus for a weekend caring for orphaned children in the Vesnova Children's Institution. Under the watchful eye of Chernobyl Children International director Adi Roche the volunteers are thrown in the deep end: caring for kids with serious illnesses & severe physical disabilities.
- 2010-10-06: Quintuplet joy for lesbian coupleMs Nolan, already has a one-year-old daughter, Lilly, with her partner. Ms Keevers became pregnant with quintuplets some months back, conceived via donor insemination using sperm from an anonymous American donor.
- 2010-10-06: Robbie Williams wants gay kids by IVF as soon as possibleRobbie Williams and his new wife Ayda Field want to start a family as soon as possible and jokingly says he wants gay kids. The 36-year-old star admitted he and Ayda are even considering undergoing in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment to boost their chances.
- 2010-10-06: Vatican continues to attack Nobel over IVF awardThe Vatican kept up its attack on the Nobel committee yesterday for giving the medicine prize to in-vitro fertilisation pioneer Robert Edwards, saying he had led to a culture where embryos are seen as commodities. As a reminder, the Vatican is against any form of assisted procreation, and just about tolerates adoption.
- 2010-10-06: X Factor: Gamu Nhengu ordered to leave Britain over alleged claims irregularitiesThe 18-year-old, from Zimbabwe, had been tipped to win the competition outright but did not qualify as one of the final 12 contestants. Reports earlier this week claimed Gamu's failure was related to issues with her visa, and on Tuesday night the Home Office confirmed her family had been sent an official letter telling them to leave Britain as a was the result of an investigation into £16,000 in benefits wrongly claimed by her mother, Nokutula, The Sun reported.
- 2010-10-09: Foreign adoptions face restrictions (IAA meeting coverage RTE1)The Hague Convention is an international best practice piece of legislation designed to standardise international adoptions and reduce the risks that are associated with private or independent agreements. However, it means Irish people will no longer be able to adopt children from several countries including Russia, Ethiopia, Vietnam, South Africa.
- 2010-10-10: Change to laws governing foreign adoptionsGeoffrey Shannon, Adoption Board, says that the Hague Convention, which Ireland is now recognizing, will vastly improve adoptions from overseas.
- 2010-10-11: Handling of adoptions to be moved from HSE to agenciesIndependent bpdies will be licensed to carry out assessments for adoption, allowing the Health Service Executive to divert social work resources away from adoption assessments and into child protection and family support work, the Minister of State for Children has said.
- 2010-10-12: South Africa secures UN seat alongside Colombia, India, Germany, and PortugalIndia, South Africa, Germany, Portugal and Colombia on Tuesday won 2-year-term seats on the United Nations Security Council in a move that could increase pressure for change on the main global peace and security body. The new countries will take the places of Japan, Austria, Turkey, Mexico and Uganda and give the Security Council a completely new political profile.
- 2010-10-12: South Africa slips six places on Gender Gap IndexSouth Africa slipped six positions on the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index to twelfth position from sixth last year. Ireland is 6th, France is 46th.
- 2010-10-12: South Africa, teen moms fear being stigmatisedChildline on Tuesday said adoption and abortion were considered taboo in some cultures and this explained the number of young South African mothers who resorted to dumping their babies.
- 2010-10-27: Bert (and Ernie) comes out of the closetBert and Ernie have been living together for 31 years. They like to wear flamboyant "his & his" pyjamas. And (here's the clincher) they tuck themselves up together each night in the same bed. It has taken a Twitter update to convince America's gay community that two of Sesame Street's best-known characters are preparing to venture out of the closet.
- 2010-10-27: HSE apologizes for State's failure of abused children The HSE has issued an apology to six children involved in the Roscommon child care case, which dealt with the consistent neglect of the children by both parents.
- 2010-10-27: TV3 Midweek, My two MumsWhat's the difference between children of same sex couples and those of heterosexual couples, tonight, Midweek speaks to a man with his two mums.
- 2010-10-29: Adoption Board to fast-track eligibility processTHE ADOPTION Board has brought forward the issuing of “declarations of eligibility and suitability to adopt” for scores of couples ahead of a new adoption regime due to take effect next week.
- 2010-10-29: The kids are alrightTwo children conceived by artificial insemination by their two mothers, bring their birth father into their family life.
- 2010-11-01: Adoption Authority of Ireland, Board announced1st November 2010 sees the enactment of the Adoption Act 2010 and completes Ireland’s ratification of the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.
- 2010-11-02: Geoffrey Shannon, chairperson of the new Adoption Authority, Every cent goes to charityPutting pressure on countries to sign up to adoption agreements could potentially lead to child trafficking Geoffrey Shannon warned.
- 2010-11-02: Pressuring countries on adoption ‘can lead to trafficking’Putting pressure on countries to sign up to adoption agreements could potentially lead to child trafficking Geoffrey Shannon warned.
- 2010-11-08: Pope attacks gay marriage in face of mass kiss protestSpain's Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero promoted the legalisation of gay marriage, including adoption rights, and a law allowing abortion on demand for women 16 years and older during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
- 2010-11-09: Magdalene Laundries inquiry orderedIHRC revealed while some women were detained through the courts, single mothers were often moved in by their family or clergy after their child was adopted and some residents had an intellectual disability. It said their treatment by nuns appeared to be harsh and reputedly involved long working hours.
- 2010-11-10: Sole adopter Sandra Bullock, dating againThe American actress has been single since splitting from her now ex-husband Jesse James earlier this year. The pair had been planning to adopt a baby together, and Sandra continued with the plan alone and is now mother to son Louis.
- 2010-11-11: Jolie discusses her familyThe actress opened up about her home life, in the December issue of Vogue magazine. In the article, readers get a glimpse inside Angelina and Brad Pitt's household with its six kids, bulldog named Jacques and nannies who speak Vietnamese to Pax and Cambodian to Maddox.
- 2010-11-14: Adopting a determined approach to an incredible life Mari Steed tells how she traced her birth parents and the daughter she had to put up for adoption.
- 2010-11-15: Bride killed on Cape Town honeymoonPolice in South Africa have launched a murder hunt after a bride on honeymoon with her British husband was killed in a car-jacking incident.
- 2010-11-16: France, Constitutional Court to decide if marriage ban is illegalThe Supreme Court of Judicature in France (Cour de Cassation) has asked the Constitutional Court to decide if French ban on universal marriage (for mix-gender and same-gender couples alike) is unconstitutional. It is questioning sections 75 and 144 of the Civil Code, after claimants raised the issue of constitutionality using a recently created legal instrument known as "question of constitutionality".
- 2010-11-16: Row over teaching of religion in primary schools' experimentThe Catholic Church believes parents have the right to expect religious formation, including preparation for the sacraments, for their children during the school day. But the Humanist Association of Ireland is writing to current minister Mary Coughlan, rejecting the pilot programme
- 2010-11-29: Romanian adoptees coming of ageWITH HIS arms tightly folded, head bowed, Nicusor O’Driscoll is uncomfortable with the thought of being among the first to leave the ruins of Romania’s communist regime.
- 2010-12-09: Germany, Newborn baby stolen from hospitalA newborn baby has been stolen from a hospital on the outskirts of Frankfurt. The baby was born in the clinic early in the morning, but around noon a woman came into the mother's room and took the girl away.
- 2010-12-09: Germany, Two held after newborn baby stolenTwo people have been arrested after a newborn baby stolen from a hospital on the outskirts of Frankfurt was found several hours later.
- 2010-12-10: Anger over race discriminationThe Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) demanded the Government do more to protect the rights of asylum seekers, the Traveller community, migrant workers and victims of human trafficking.
- 2010-12-10: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010Once the legislation is passed the changes will apply for the 2011 year of assessment. Further information will be available on Revenue's website in due course.
- 2010-12-16: South Africa, Deal gives wider access to HIV treatmentA new deal between pharmaceutical companies and the South African government that has halved the cost of drugs used to contain the HIV virus means that hundreds of thousands of infected people currently not on treatment can access it.
- 2010-12-21: MEC to adopt Aids orphansKwazulu-Natal’s MEC for Social Development, Meshack Radebe, has promised to legally adopt two Aids orphans from the Shepherd’s Keep Home for abandoned babies.
- 2010-12-28: Elton John becomes father via surrogacyElton John and his partner have become parents to a son born to a surrogate mother in California. Last year, the couple, who were married in 2005 after 12 years together, failed to adopt an orphan in Ukraine.
- 2010-12-28: South Africa, babies falling victim to Childcare ActBaby Faith has been abandoned – not by the young mother who gave her up for adoption but by the system that was meant to help her.
- 2010-12-31: Two resign from adoption authority of Ireland (AAI)Two of the authority’s seven board members – psychologist Dr Helen Greally and medical practitioner Dr Cyril McNulty – have stood down in recent weeks.
- 2011-01-01: first Irish Civil Partnerships expected in April 2011 - register now!To make an appointment to give notification of intention to enter into a civil partnership ("three months notice") you should contact your local civil registration office.
- 2011-01-12: USA, Change in passport language is boon to gay rights activistsSecretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton deciding that the forms required for first-time passport applicants younger than 16 will ask for the names of a child's "Mother or Parent 1" and "Father or Parent 2." The "parent" reference is seen by gay rights groups as a more gender-neutral reference for same-sex parents.
- 2011-01-12: USA, Pennsylvania: Fallout felt from airlift of Haitian orphansAnd one year later, many international adoption experts and child welfare officials are trying to work with the Haitian government, with limited success, to ensure that this type of hastily planned evacuation doesn't happen again.
- 2011-01-18: France, Constitutional Council is deciding whether or not the marriage ban is illegal2 women who have lived together for 14 years, and are raising 4 children have initiated the legal proceedings to get married.
- 2011-01-18: Jennifer Aniston thinking about adoption or surrogacyIt has been claimed the 41-year-old star – who is currently single – is considering either adoption or using a surrogate mother, after the processes proved successful for other famous faces.
- 2011-01-18: Mary White (Green Party), minister for equality, has called for changes to family law"At the heart of society there must be equality before the law and I hope that soon there will be equality between parents, regardless of gender or marital status."
- 2011-01-27: IAA (International Adoption Association) is the first body to be accredited by AAIActivity for which registered: Providing information, advice and counselling concerning adoption to any prospective adopters (Section 4(g) of the Adoption Act 2010 refers).
- 2011-01-28: France upholds ban on Liberté, Égalité, Parenté (far right is delighted)The French constitutional court has upheld a ban on gay marriage, which was challenged by a lesbian couple with four children.
- 2011-01-28: France, Constitutional Council decision on legality of marriage ban due todat at 10 GMT2 women who have lived together for 14 years, and are raising 4 children have initiated the legal proceedings to get married. The court has to decide if articles 75 and 144 of the "Civil Code", which excludes same-gender people from civil marriage, are constitutional.
- 2011-01-28: Spain, Hundreds of babies 'stolen from clinics and sold for adoption'The families of 261 babies who disappeared in Spanish hospitals over five decades call for an investigation
- 2011-02-04: France, a mayor celebrates a same-gender marriage, but does not register itIn Montpellier, France, the mayor of the city decided to married a gay French-Portugese couple and even if the gay marriage is not authorized in France.
- 2011-02-08: South Africa, Irish woman killed at her home in Cape TownPolice in South Africa have confirmed that an Irish woman was killed during a suspected robbery attempt at her home in Cape Town last week.
- 2011-02-08: Will Young clarifies flippant baby commentsWill Young did not mean he ruled out surrogacy, and that before considering a child he will need a dog and a boyfriend.
- 2011-02-09: ARC Adoption is the second body to be accredited by AAIActivity for which registered: The activities outlined in Section 4 (a,b,c,d) of the Adoption Act 2010. (Mediation agency)
- 2011-02-09: Baby joy for SATC's Cynthia NixonSEX And The City star Cynthia Nixon has become a parent again, after her girlfriend gave birth to a baby boy.
- 2011-02-10: Single Dad Ricky Martin to receive gay honourPop singer Ricky Martin is to receive an award from a leading US gay and lesbian organisation after coming out as gay last year.
- 2011-02-11 Notice by AAI, delegation traveling to the United States of AmericaTopics to discuss will include the principle of subsidiarity (whereby intercountry adoption is the third option after family adoption and in-State adoption), the accreditation process, and the process for handling outgoing adoption cases under the Hague Adoption Convention.
- 2011-02-11: Notice by AAI, payments in Intercountry AdoptionThe Authority will reserve the right to seek evidence, by way of documentary proof, of the amounts of all such payments. This may require the production by adopters of original invoices for payments and original receipts of payments made.
- 2011-02-12: France, Sarkozy denounces multiculturalism as 'a failure', in order to catch up with the extreme-right agendaThe president’s remarks came just days after the French extreme-right congratulated Mr Cameron on his criticism of multiculturalism, claiming it was an endorsement of her party’s position.
- 2011-02-12: The future of Islam in IrelandIreland’s Muslim population has grown tenfold in 20 years and is still expanding. But official Ireland is failing to engage with the increasing number of "ethnic" and political groups.
- 2011-02-13: Labour takes risk with support for "gay vote"The Labour Party is making a pitch for the 'gay vote' by calling for a same-sex marriage referendum -- but it risks alienating more conservative voters.
- 2011-02-13: TV star back on feet after homophobic attackTV presenter Brendan Courtney has been left battered and bruised after a savage gay bashing attack during a night out in Dublin.
- 2011-02-21: Estonia, victims of orphanage fire that killed 8 children, 2 adults, mournedEstonia observed a day of mourning Monday for eight children with disabilities and two adults who were killed when a fire destroyed an orphanage.
- 2011-02-21: Haiti, children sold for as little as one euroChildren in Haiti were being sold to traffickers exploiting the chaos from the past year's earthquake for as little as one euro ($1.37), according to new UN figures reported yesterday.
- 2011-02-22: France, Académie de Medicine in favour of making domestic adoptions easierIn France, domestic adoptions can leave children waiting for 5 to 6 years, and they have halved in 20 years, with intercountry adoptions being multiplied by 4.
- 2011-02-23: PACT accredited by AAIActivity for which registered: The activities outlined in Section 4(e,f,g) of the Adoption Act 2010. A number of same-gender couples started being assessed by PACT instead of the HSE, but they had to stop as they were no longer approved under the new legilation. They can now resume taking on the load from the HSE.
- 2011-02-23: UK (NI), Plea to save children's servicesChildren's services could be hardest hit by Northern Ireland's draft budget, the Children's Commissioner has warned. Young people have been left invisible by the four-year spending plan, said Patricia Lewsley.
- 2011-02-24: France, Beyoncé 'blackfaced' photos criticisedWriting in the Atlanta Post, Charing Ball said: "What the heck was Beyonce thinking when she decided to do a fashion editorial in blackface?"
- 2011-02-26: 31st Dáil, Barry Andrews, eliminated on the 7th count. Gilmore elected on the first count.Barry Andrews, the minister in charge of adoption, was not re-elected a TD for Fianna Fáil on Friday 25th 2011 in his constituency of Dún Laoghaire.
- 2011-02-28: Argentine dictatorship on trial for baby theftsOver 500 babies were stolen and given to soldiers to raise, while the mothers was dropped in the sea from a plane, as part of a systematic practice between and 1976 and 1983.
- 2011-03-01: Grey's Anatomy– Gay family recognition (Sesson 7)Mark, the biological father, and Arizona, the same-gender partner, have to find a way to co-habitate with Callie, plan for the way their alteratove family will function in spite of a systematic animosity between the first two.
- 2011-03-04: Ogra FF chair retracts remarks on homosexuals and adoption
- 2011-03-14: David Norris candidate to the presidential nomination (Áras an Uachtaráin)Mr Norris, who has served in theSeanad since 1987, said the role of the next president would be to foster innovation, creativity and look after the physical and mental well-being of the nation. The prominent gay rights activist believes his sexuality will not be an issue with voters. Every presidential hopeful needs the support of at least 20 TDs or senators or the backing of four city/county councils to be a candidate.
- 2011-03-14: Notice by AAI, humanitarian aid / donations in ICAThe AAI has noticed that in a number of recent applications for an entry in the Register of Intercountry Adoptions substantial amounts of money (described as ‘Humanitarian Aid’ or ‘Donation’) have been handed over to persons abroad in respect of an individual adoption. PAP’s are reminded that humanitarian aid or donations should not be associated with individual children being adopted.
- 2011-03-15: South Africa, lesbians campaign against corrective rapeLesbian activists in the South African capital of Cape Town held a demonstration outside parliament to call for more action on the problem of rape to try and ‘turn’ them straight.
- 2011-03-29: Elton John ‘plans to expand family’Elton John and his partner have become parents to a son born to a surrogate mother in California. Last year, the couple, who were married in 2005 after 12 years together, failed to adopt an orphan in Ukraine.
- 2011-03-30: The children we fostered didn't care if we were gay or straightSix years ago, DAVE THOMAS and his partner decided to become foster parents – but as a gay couple, they faced and uphill struggle.
- 2011-04-02: Religious instruction ‘wastes’ class time (Ruairi Quinn)The Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has said that schools should use the time spent on religious instruction for better purposes – such as improving reading and maths skills.
- 2011-04-02: Same-gender couple's joy as they prepare to make history at civil ceremonyWe want to remind everyone that this is a wedding in all the meanings of the word, but that it falls short of being a marriage, as it does not provide the constitutional protection their children would deserve if they were to have any.
- 2011-04-03: Newstalk host Dil opens heart about her 'child sex-abuse hell'As host of Newstalk's groundbreaking show Global Village, Dil Wickremasinghe fearlessly tackles a variety of thorny topics including racial discrimination, sex trafficking and institutional abuse.
- 2011-04-05: Civil Partnership and Certain Rights and Obligations of Cohabitants Act 2010Existing provisions continue to apply until the new legislation is passed, but once that legislation is enacted it will apply in the main for the whole of the year of assessment 2011 and after.
- 2011-04-13: AAI notice on FloridaIntercountry adoption from the State of Florida, USA, is under active consideration by the AAI and is the subject of ongoing engagement with the US Central Authority.
- 2011-04-13: AAI notice on South AfricaThe Adoption Authority of Ireland wishes to advise that both the Authority and the Irish Embassy in Pretoria are continuing in their efforts to establish from the South African Central Authority whether it will accept applications for intercountry adoptions from Ireland in 2011.
- 2011-04-13: AAI notice on the UKA delegation from the AAI met with the English Central Authority in London recently.
- 2011-04-13: While visiting Vietnam, AAI chairman hints at discussions with South African Central AuthorityMr Shannon also said the authority has been proactive in attempting to establish administrative arrangements with other jurisdictions in relation to intercountry adoptions, including Bulgaria and South Africa.
- 2011-04-28: Five-minute questionnaire identifies subtle signs of autism in one-year oldsThe checklist asked parents about the child's use of eye gaze, sounds, words, gestures, objects and other forms of age-appropriate communication.
- 2011-05-07: Adoption Authority Announces new C.E.O.The Adoption Authority is very pleased to announce the appointment of Elizabeth Canavan as the first Chief Executive Officer of the Authority.
- 2011-05-29: South Africa, children in need of a (domestic) ‘forever family’“So many children are waiting for a home, but we never have enough families for them. A lot of children leave the country to go to homes in other countries.” “This is a drop in the ocean in terms of the need. The main objective is to encourage local adoption to keep children here because of their cultural ties and their roots.”
- 2011-05-30: ARC Adoption, first accredited body to be launchedMINISTER FOR Children Frances Fitzgerald will today launch Ireland’s first accredited adoption mediation agency.
- 2011-06-02: Nigeria, clinic accused of selling babiesBala Hassan says police believe the girls went willingly to the facility to give birth to unwanted babies and sell them.
- 2011-06-03: Kids in HSE care ended up working in brothelsWhile the majority of sex trafficking cases involve adults, Ireland has been targeted by gangs due to the ease which children can escape care.
- 2011-06-15: AAI notice on South AfricaThe Adoption Authority of Ireland wishes to advise that both the Authority and the Irish Embassy in Pretoria are continuing in their efforts to establish from the South African Central Authority whether it will accept applications for intercountry adoptions from Ireland in 2011.
- 2011-08-24: Alaska mother convicted of abusing adopted Russian son... to appear on parenting TV showA US woman accused of using extreme methods to punish her adopted Russian son as a ploy to get on a TV programme has been convicted of child abuse.
- 2011-09-13: AAI notice on FloridaAll other prospective adoptive parents who propose to adopt from Florida should not enter into any arrangements with adoption agencies or individual birth families until further advice has been provided by the Authority.
- 2011-11-10: Authority to travel for talks on adoption agreementsMINISTER FOR Children Frances Fitzgerald will today launch Ireland’s first accredited adoption mediation agency.
Return to: The tools you will need
Have you stopped the media watch?
Loads going on with Desmond Tutu calling for Apartheid to resume. Is that not worth mentioning?