Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 206: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that Mexico, which is compliant with the Hague agreement on adoption, is willing to change its adoption process in order to accommodate Irish adoptions; and if the Bill, as currently drafted, will go ahead, due to the fact that in Mexico the central government authority is not involved in approvals prior to proceedings for adoption commencing. [22887/10]

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 intercountry adoption arrangements will be governed by the terms of the Adoption Bill 2009 when enacted.

There is nothing in the provisions of the Adoption Bill 2009, currently before the Houses of the Oireachtas, which will preclude couples/individuals from effecting a valid, Hague standard adoption from Mexico. With regard to 'independent' adoptions, Part 13 of the Adoption Bill outlines the restrictions on a person in seeking to make arrangements for adoptions. It also identifies the particular role of accredited authorities in this regard. The Adoption Board is currently reviewing the adoption laws of Mexico in terms of their compliance with Hague standards and Irish adoption law.

As with all applications, the Adoption Board reserves all of its statutory rights and functions in the matter of applications made to it, without partiality or prior commitment.