John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 167: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding inter-country adoption between Ireland and Belarus; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23244/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Belarus has ratified the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. However, adoptions between Ireland and Belarus cannot take place due to compatibility issues between the laws of Ireland and Belarus, in particular in relation to the Belarussian requirement for legislative underpinning of post placement reporting.

John Paul Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 168: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding attempts to establish an adoption agreement between the authorities in Panama and the Adoption Authority; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23250/12]

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.