Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 255: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans to negotiate a bilateral adoption agreement with the Government of Haiti; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3032/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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There are no plans to negotiate a bilateral adoption agreement with Haitian Government. Haiti is currently not a signatory of the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption. Adoptions from Haiti, carried out in accordance with the law of Haiti, do not currently qualify for an entry in the Register of Foreign Adoptions.

I am also conscious of the statement issued by the International Social Service on 18 January 2010 in the wake of the tragic events in Haiti which stated, inter alia, that 'in general, international adoption should not take place in a situation of war or natural disaster, given that these events make it impossible to verify the personal and family situation of children'. The statement further specifies that 'any operation to adopt or to evacuate children that are victims of the earthquake to another country must be absolutely avoided'. In addition, Save the Children, World Vision and the Red Cross have called for a moratorium on new adoptions until effects have been made to reunite children with their families.