The lifting of the ban on unmarried couples, including same sex couples and those in a civil partnership having the right to adopt, has been welcomed by Derry MLA Maeve McLaughlin.
Ms McLaughlin, the chairperson of the Health Committee at Stormont, said the move was a “further step on the road to quality.”
However, the Sinn Fein representative said questions still remained as to why the Health Minister Edwin Poots chose to “waste public money” appealing the ban.
Ms McLaughlin added: “A minister must act for all people yet this case has seen Edwin Poots pursuing actions along the lines of his personal beliefs and allowing his prejudices to affect legislative decisions.”
She concluded: “The lifting of this ban will give much needed access for children in care to loving families. The focus in any adoption has to be the child’s welfare and to deny children a good home on the basis of prejudice is wrong.”
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