Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)

Following the commencement of the Adoption Act 2010 on 1 November 2010, adoption in Ireland is now regulated by the Adoption Authority of Ireland, which is an independent quasi-judicial statutory body appointed by the Government. The functions of the authority, which are set out in section 96 of the Adoption Act, include functions of an operational, judicial and quasi-judicial nature with regard to the adoption process itself as provided for under the Act and relating to the authority's designation as the central authority for the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption.

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Under the Adoption Act 2010, the accreditation of agencies providing adoption services is a matter for the Adoption Authority. Its functions include registration, regulatory and standard setting functions in respect of all agencies providing adoption services in accordance with Part 13 of the Act and the relevant regulations. The authority is obliged to fully satisfy itself of the fitness of any persons or body of persons to provide and undertake adoption services.

SI 524 of 2010, Adoption Act 2010 (Accredited Bodies) Regulations 2010, outlines the requirements for the registration of accredited agencies, including structure, reporting requirements and the role of the Adoption Authority. I am advised by the Adoption Authority that to date the authority has registered 12 organisations and a further six organisations are awaiting a decision on accreditation. The authority posts notifications of the accreditation of agencies on its website, www.aai.gov.ie, once the entry in the register of accredited bodies has taken place.

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