The chairman of the Adoptions Board has expressed disgust at the way adoption by same-sex couples has been “surreptitiously” introduced in the law on civil unions.
Ivan Grech Mintoff refused to reply to questions about the board’s position on the actual issue of gay adoption, saying it had been instructed not to comment. But he was more forthcoming on the manner in which the measure was introduced: “No, that I can answer and I can tell you outright that we were not consulted before gay adoptions became part of the Civil Unions Bill.
“We were taken totally by surprise to see these adoptions added to civil unions,” he said.
He added: “If you ask me, I think it was introduced in the most disgusting way possible. Surreptitiously is not a good-enough term to use.”
The law giving same-sex couples the facility to apply for the adoption of a child was enacted last month when Parliament voted in favour of the Civil Unions Bill that grants rights equivalent to marriage.
The Opposition, led by Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil, abstained from the vote, insisting that, while it agreed with civil unions, it could not at this time agree to adoptions by people of the same sex. Dr Busuttil said the party’s position on the matter had been consistent from the very beginning: the issue of gay adoptions should have been pulled out of the Civil Unions Act and addressed specifically in a separate law.
When Mr Grech Mintoff, who was appointed board chairman following the last general election, was asked to comment on gay adoption he said: “I have an opinion and each of the members has their own opinion. As a board we have a collective opinion on allowing same sex couples to adopt children but we cannot express these opinions in public as we have specific instructions not to,” Mr Grech Mintoff said.
Asked who had given the board the instructions, Mr Grech Mintoff said it was “the ministry” that had issued them through an e-mail.
The Adoptions Board falls under the remit of the Family and Social Solidarity Ministry.
The ministry, now under Minister Michael Farrugia, was previously headed by Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, now President of Malta. A spokeswoman for Ms Coleiro Preca said: “You may appreciate that Ms Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca is today President of the Republic of Malta. In these circumstances it is not appropriate for H.E. to comment about this matter.”
Dr Farrugia was also asked whether he stood by the decision taken by his predecessor Ms Colerio Preca. “It is unethical for board members to comment,” he said.
mxuereb@timesofmalta.com