Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)

As the Taoiseach is aware, the Adoption Bill 2009 will go through the House on Thursday. With the passage of this Bill, the Hague Convention will be ratified. Up to 80 couples who are attempting to adopt from Ethiopia and Russia are currently in a transition phase, but after the ratification of the Hague Convention both of these countries will be excluded. I ask the Taoiseach to intervene and implement a transition arrangement to accommodate and facilitate these couples, many of whom have been already disappointed by the breakdown of the bilateral agreement with Vietnam.

I am surprised the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment did not correct Deputy Ó Caoláin when he announced that 15,000 people were unemployed in Donegal.

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