Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the date on which the Intercountry Adoption Report by the Adoption Authority of Ireland will be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57869/12]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I understand the Deputy's question relates to the issue the Adoption Authority's assessment of a possible bilateral agreement with Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is not a signatory of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. In these circumstances, future adoptions from Ethiopia would require a bilateral agreement between Ireland and Ethiopia. The negotiation of bilateral agreements on intercountry adoption with states who have not ratified the Hague Convention is governed by Section 73 of the Adoption Act 2010 which states that "the Authority, with the prior consent of the Minister, may enter into discussions with any non-contracting state concerning the possibility of the Government entering into a bilateral agreement with that State."

The Adoption Authority delegation visit to Ethiopia in April of this year was an initial part of the Authority's deliberations on the feasability and suitability of entering into discussions with Ethiopia on a bilateral adoption agreement. The Authority forwarded a report of their visit to me in May 2012. The Authority is awaiting legal advice regarding the compatibility of the Irish and Ethiopian adoption legislation. The Authority has also informed me that it has asked the Irish Embassy to make the appropriate contacts in the Ministry of Women's Affairs in Ethiopia with a view to verifying the stance of the Ethiopian authorities to entering into exploratory talks in relation to a bilateral agreement. I await the AAI advice in this regard