Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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Question 536: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will explain the recent developments on the adoption of children from Bulgaria; the reason only one agency has been appointed to deal with Irish parents; the selection process for that agency; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this selected agency has considerably increased its prices even for those parents who have already signed agreements with other agencies; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16623/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Under the Adoption Act, 2010, the accreditation of agencies providing adoption services is a matter for the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI). Accordingly, I have asked the Chief Executive of the AAI to consider the issue raised and respond directly to the Deputy on the matter.

Issues relating to the level of fees charged by an accredited body are also a matter for the AAI and are covered in detail by the Adoption Act 2010 (Accredited Bodies) Regulations 2010. These regulations set out the standards which must be met by accredited bodies in order to satisfy the requirements of the Authority under the Adoption Act, 2010 (No. 21 of 2010) for entry in the register of accredited bodies. The regulations set out, inter alia, the requirement for any body applying for accreditation to include in its Memorandum and Articles of Association that it is to be solely concerned with assisting in the adoption process on a not for profit basis. The regulations also set out a range of provisions in relation to financial reporting, fees and charges, including a provision that an accredited body shall submit to the Authority for prior approval its schedule of fees and any subsequent increases in fees or additions to the schedule.