Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael)
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Question 143: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will assist in the return of the children of a person (details supplied) in County Louth under the Hague Convention; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43587/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, it would not be appropriate for me to comment in detail on an individual case. I can tell the Deputy that the case referred to by him is the subject of an application to the Central Authority which operates in my Department for the purposes of the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. That Convention is designed to ensure the return of children who have been abducted from one contracting state to another. The application in this case was received by the Irish Central Authority on 18 September 2006, and after translation into French was forwarded to the Central Authority in France on 27 September 2006. The Irish Central Authority is in regular communication with its counterpart in France, which is responsible for ensuring that whatever steps are available to it in that jurisdiction, including if necessary the institution of proceedings before a French court, are taken as expeditiously as possible. The Irish Central Authority, in this case as in all others it deals with, is keeping the applicant fully informed of developments as they occur.