Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 276: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the list of countries that are currently Hague compliant in terms of inter-country adoption; the implications for couples intending to adopt from non-Hague countries who will not have received their declaration of eligibility prior to the enactment of the Bill. [6797/10]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Adoption Board has provided a list of countries/territories that are compliant/non-compliant with Hague and/or Irish Adoption Law. Details are available on the Adoption Board website at www.adoptionboard.ie. 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 current policy position, as set out in the Adoption Bill 2009, is that for an adoption to be registered under the Bill it must be effected in a contracting State to the Hague Convention or in a country with which Ireland has a bilateral agreement. In addition I announced on 26 January my intention to bring forward on Committee stage an amendment to the Adoption Bill 2009 that will enable prospective adoptive parents to proceed with an adoption from a non-Hague or non-bilateral country, if prior to the establishment date, they have been issued with a Declaration of Eligibility and Suitability to adopt. The proposed amendment requires that the Adoption Authority (to be set up under the Act) would be satisfied that the particular adoption meets all the standards of the Hague Convention.