Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 440: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the total number of adoptions registered by the Adoption Authority of Ireland to adopters who were issued with their declaration of eligibility and suitability after 1 November 2010. [24317/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Since 1 November 2010, the Adoption Authority of Ireland has registered one intercountry adoption in respect of applicants who received new Declarations of Eligibility & Suitability under Section 40 of the Adoption Act, 2010. The Adoption Authority informs me that waiting times between the sending of an application pack and the actual completion of an adoption in sending countries may vary greatly and may extend to as much as 3 years or more in some cases. The Adoption Authority has no influence with regard to the waiting times involved in these sending countries. Furthermore, some jurisdictions require a two stage adoption process which entails post-placement reports being submitted during an initial period of guardianship before an adoption is approved and finalised. Hence, while a number of applicants would have referrals of children and some would be in the process of completing the post-placement requirements of sending countries, they would not have finalised the adoptions by court order and therefore would not be in a position to register the adoptions with the AAI.