Written answers

Tuesday, 12 October 2010

Department of Health and Children

Inter-country Adoptions

9:00 am

Photo of Mary O'RourkeMary O'Rourke (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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Question 262: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding Russian adoptions [35827/10]

Photo of Barry AndrewsBarry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Adoption Act, 2010 gives 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 Act, 2010, once commenced.

The Russian Government has made it clear that if adoptions are to continue, they wish to see have bilaterals put in place with countries wishing to proceed with the adoption of Russian children. I am aware that the US and New Zealand Governments are currently negotiating bilaterals with Russia. I intend to pursue the matter of a bilateral with the Russian Ambassador in Dublin in the coming weeks and establish whether it is possible to put in place a bilateral agreement with Russia that provides safety around the issues of consent and the financial costs of effecting an adoption.

It should be noted that the Adoption Act, 2010, contains a special provision 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. This is significant in that it allows applicants to adopt from Russia if the Declaration has been issued by the Adoption Board prior to commencement of the legislation. The provision 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.

The Russian embassy have indicated to the OMCYA that, during a recent visit to Ireland, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister confirmed that Ireland was not blacklisted as regards to inter country adoption.

Although the Russian Embassy in Dublin advised the Department that prospective adoptive parents can still proceed in applying to the Russian consulate for documents for visas and adoptive dossiers for registration, I am aware of queries received recently indicating concerns regarding delays in appointments for visas. Officials in my Department have been in contact with the Russian Embassy on this matter.

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