Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour)

I thank the Minister for facilitating the debate. This is an important issue that affects many families. Adoption can be a frustrating process but one that can bring much joy when concluded.

The rights of the children must be at the centre of the process of inter-country adoption. Everybody in this House will always put the rights of the child first but my focus, bearing in mind what Deputy Daly has just outlined, is on Ethiopia. I have spoken to many families that have adopted children from Ethiopia. In 2010, there were 75 adoptions from Ethiopia with over 300 children adopted in the past 20 years. Having spoken to those parents I am aware they dealt with reputable orphanages. The ambassador in Ethiopia was very helpful in assisting those parents when they travelled to the country and ensuring the adoptions were done in a correct manner in difficult circumstances but Ethiopia, as a non-signatory of the Hague Convention on inter-country adoption, is now closed off to Irish parents and only those cases that were under way can proceed.

It is worth noting that the ratification of the Hague Convention can be an expensive process for developing countries. Even when in place the guarantees it provides are not clear. That was outlined earlier by Deputy Daly in terms of what happened in Mexico, which is a signatory to the Hague Convention, the question marks over the practices of the Mexican establishment and the way they were managed, which would have been distressing for the children and the Irish families that travelled to Mexico who were in a terrible position.

Significant legal protections and guidelines must be met before new adoptions can begin in Ethiopia. We have a strong Irish network in Ethiopia on which we can build. I urge the Minister to consider that and put a timeline on the process. I realise the discussions are in the early stages but I know the Minister for many years and I know she will guarantee best practices to the best of her ability. She will leave no stone unturned in that regard.

The families that have adopted children want to see their family grow. They want the next child they adopt to be from Ethiopia and to be aware of his or her culture and identity. Having spoken with the parents I know that is very important to them, and they have organised support groups in Ireland for the adopted children. It would be useful if the Minister could provide a timeline for the Ethiopian situation to give the families some certainty. Furthermore, if she could confirm the length of this process it would be very reassuring for families. With every step we take and because of our own history in this State we must ensure that the children are protected and that what is best for those children is acted upon.

I thank the Minister for the opportunity to debate this issue. Funding was made available last year to consider South Africa as a Hague country but it decided not to continue. If an expense is to be incurred it would be welcome if it was in the direction of Ethiopia. We should examine the prospect of allowing families to grow if that is at all possible.

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