Mr. Kiernan Gildea:

With regard to a bilateral agreement with Ethiopia, we visited Addis Ababa and met ministry officials who are all very well-meaning people who are very competent. There is no doubt there are children available for adoption from Ethiopia. We have met and held them. Unfortunately Ethiopia does not have the infrastructure to support a rigid and safe system. It has no database for registration of births and it has simply refused a bilateral agreement with Ireland at this time. It is very difficult to force it in such circumstances, and that is not what we should be doing.