Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 245: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will support a matter (details supplied). [43001/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Adoption Bill, 2009, is designed to give force of law to the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption. The new legislation, which incorporates the provisions of the Hague Convention, is designed to provide a framework to ensure that appropriate procedures have been followed and that all adoptions are effected in the best interests of the child. Future inter-country adoption arrangements will be governed by the terms of the Adoption Bill 2009 when enacted. The Bill commenced its second stage process in Dail Eireann on the 18th November.

The issue of transitional measures for prospective parents who are at a definable stage in the adoption process when the Bill is enacted and who wish to continue to adopt a child from a non-Hague, non-bilateral country, is being examined. Prospective adoptive parents have waited a long time and it is my intention to be as flexible as possible in relation to applicants. Preliminary work has been undertaken on the development of a bilateral agreement with the Russian authorities on inter-country adoption and discussions in this regard take account of the provisions of the Adoption Bill 2009.