Paschal Donohoe (Fine Gael)

I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this issue for discussion on the Adjournment and I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Martin Mansergh, for coming to the House to respond. The problems being experienced by couples seeking to adopt children from abroad have been comprehensively discussed in this House, with much of the debate focusing on the situation as it pertains to Vietnam. Much work has been done by the Government in this regard and there has been a thorough questioning of that work by Members on this side of the House.

The focus of this Adjournment matter is the situation of families seeking to adopt children from Ethiopia. My understanding of this issue has developed in recent days and it is clear that it presents a very different scenario from that associated with Vietnam. The situation in which these couples find themselves has not featured in public debate to anywhere the same extent as that of prospective parents hoping to adopt children from other jurisdictions. My purpose in tabling this matter for discussion is to attain clarity on the position of adoptions from Ethiopia in the context of the Adoption Bill 2009 and the discussions in which the Government is engaged with representatives of two countries.

I have three particular concerns which I hope the Minister of State will address. The first relates to the nature of transitional agreements that may be drafted with Ethiopia, if such are drafted, prior to enactment of the legislation. There has been significant discussion regarding transitional agreements with other countries, but the nature of any planned transitional agreement with Ethiopia is something of which there is less understanding. I hope the Minister will clarify the situation in regard to couples who are seeking to adopt from that country and have gone through all the stages of the adoption process before the new legislation is implemented.

My second question relates to the content of the legislation. My understanding is that one of the conditions for countries to participate in the new arrangement is that they be signatories of the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption. Ethiopia currently is not a signatory to the Hague Convention. In preparing for this debate this evening, it became apparent to me that the stipulation that a country be a member of the Hague Convention for adoption processes appears to be a more demanding criterion than those laid down for many neighbouring countries. In the context of the proposed legislation being brought forward by the Government, what will be the situation of couples who are looking to adopt out of Ethiopia if that country is not a signatory to the Hague Convention?

In recent statements, the Minister of State has indicated that families who are some way along the adoption process will be offered an arrangement to ensure they are not left high and dry at the end of all of this. The couple I have mentioned have gone through every stage of the process. They have been cleared by the authorities in Ireland, they have been supported by the HSE, they are in contact with the orphanages in Ethiopia, but a child has not become available to them for adoption.

My contribution up to this point has been very technical because I am talking about conventions and transitional agreements. However, the human element of this was brought home to me when I spoke to the family in question. They showed me the work they had done to become suitable to adopt a child from Ethiopia. One of the things they needed to do was to demonstrate to the HSE that they had built up a sensitivity of what it would be like to adopt a child from that country so that when they are bringing up the child they will be aware of the culture from which the child came. This family had gone along to the Ethiopian new year celebrations and had met the Ethiopian ambassador. It is heart rending to find the family in question really confused about where things stand and facing the dilemma that at the end of all this, they might not be able to adopt the child and give it a better life.