John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 213: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when a legal opinion on the suitability of Panama as a country for Irish parents to adopt from will be complete; when she expects the Adoption Authority of Ireland to be in a position to be able to enter an agreement with the Panamanian authorities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12979/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) is an independent statutory body charged with implementing the Adoption Act, 2010. The Authority has responsibility for the direct operational implementation of legislation and Government policy. In November 2011 the AAI commenced a review of the adoption law(s) of Panama, which has ratified the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. The general review process followed by the AAI in such instances is detailed on the Authority's website. Owing to the variable nature of the process in respect of each individual country, and the need to engage with legal experts in the country being assessed, there is no definitive or set timescale for the completion of such reviews. The AAI will provide all relevant information relating to reviews on its website at the appropriate time.

The Hague Convention is a formal state-to-state agreement between countries developed on a multilateral basis. If a country has ratified the Hague Convention then the Adoption Authority of Ireland may establish administrative arrangements, as provided for in Section 72 of the Adoption Act, 2010. Administrative agreements are designed to underpin the Hague process and are related to the sequence and process arrangements in place to support the safeguards already agreed between states. The Adoption Authority of Ireland works with central authority counterparts in the establishment of administrative agreements.