Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour)
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Question 200: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has received an update from the Adoption Association of Ireland and the Irish embassy in Ethiopia on the issue of establishing a bilateral agreement with that country as per her statement in Dáil Éireann on 1 December 2011; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2663/12]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 201: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will enter into an agreement (details supplied) regarding the adoption of children in view of the fact that there has been very positive results from adoptions to date; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2747/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 200 and 201 together.

Adoptions from Ethiopia, effected under the transitional arrangements provided for in the Adoption Act 2010, are ongoing and are currently being examined, and recognised, by the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI). These transitional arrangements may lead to adoptions from Ethiopia taking place up to the end of October 2013. Adoptions from Ethiopia which are not covered by the transitional arrangements referred to above require a bilateral agreement between Ireland and Ethiopia. The negotiation of bilateral agreements on intercountry adoption with states who have not ratified the Hague Convention is governed by Section 73 of the Adoption Act 2010 which states that "the Authority, with the prior consent of the Minister, may enter into discussions with any non-contracting state concerning the possibility of the Government entering into a bilateral agreement with that State."

Before Christmas, I wrote to the AAI giving approval for the commencement of the process of examining the feasibility of a bilateral agreement with Ethiopia. The AAI have confirmed that, with the assistance of the Irish embassy in Addis Ababa, they have sought an expert legal narrative and description of the current Ethiopian adoption law. This will be examined by the AAI to test for compatibility and compliance with the Adoption Act 2010.

As the Hague Convention is designed to ensure a minimum set of standards in intercountry adoption, the Adoption Authority of Ireland have indicated that their first priority is to reach agreements on arrangements with other Hague countries. The AAI are currently developing administrative arrangements with a number of countries who are signatories to the Hague Convention, including the USA, Mexico and Vietnam. I am extremely conscious that the Authority have a full work programme in the terms of these countries as well as the ongoing priority engagement with Vietnam.

In addition, the Authority and my officials held exploratory meetings with the Russian authorities in December. A delegation visited Russia in relation to preliminary discussions around the potential for a bilateral on intercountry adoption. This was a follow up to previous discussions which took place earlier in the year, on the initiative of the Russian authorities. The assessment of non-Hague countries and the possibility of entering discussions on a bilateral is complex and resource intensive. I have to have regard to the resources available to the AAI and to my Department, and to the work priorities of both.

The Authority must also prioritise checks of legal compatibility with a wide range of jurisdictions in order to process applications for the recognition of the adoptions of children already adopted from abroad by Irish citizens. These are desktop reviews requiring legal advices but are urgently required to regulate the status of children already adopted.