Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 98: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of inter country adoptions approved in 2011 by Irish residents adopting from Hague ratified countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24021/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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In accordance with the Adoption Act, 2010, which came into effect on 1 November 2010, intercountry adoptions can be effected with other countries which have ratified the Hague Convention or with which Ireland has a bilateral agreement. Ireland currently has no bilateral agreements in respect of intercountry adoption. The Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) has responsibility for making entries into the Register of Intercountry Adoptions. The AAI has provided the following information based on Irish residents adopting from Hague ratified countries.

Since the establishment of the AAI in November 2012 the AAI have visited Vietnam, Florida and Bulgaria with a view to developing administrative agreements with these Hague ratified countries. The AAI have initiated desk top examinations of the legislation with other Hague countries such as Kazakhstan, Panama, South Africa, Lithuania, Thailand, and Philippines with a view to assessing the compatibility of Irish adoption legislation.

Furthermore I took the opportunity to visit Vietnam in recent months and met with the Vietnamese authorities, my visit coinciding with a visit of a delegation from the Adoption Authority of Ireland to Vietnam to discuss administrative matters in relation to intercountry adoptions on foot of Vietnam's recent ratification of the Hague Convention. The Authority has prepared and submitted to the Vietnamese authorities a suggested scheme of administrative arrangements to be established between Ireland and Vietnam for the resumption of intercountry adoption between the two States. The Authority is awaiting the response of the Vietnamese authorities to this proposal.