Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will explain the distinction between a Hague convention and a Hague standard in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal; the number of Irish couples with pre-Hague section 63 declarations who have adopted children from Russia since the Hague concord; the reason a hold has been placed on registering adoptions from Russia; if she will advise the family on the way they should now approach the matter; and if she will acknowledge that the couple acted to-date in good faith; [14119/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Adoption Act 2010 provides for inter country adoption between countries that have ratified the Hague Convention or between countries with whom Ireland has a bilateral agreement under Section 73 of the Adoption Act 2010. Section 63 of the Act provides for transitionary arrangements for people who held valid declarations prior to the commencement of the 2010 Act, allowing an adoption to proceed in a non-Hague Convention state 'that, in the opinion of the Authority, applied standards regarding the adoption concerned that accord with those in the Hague Convention

The Authority advises that a question has arisen with regard to the interpretation of Section 63. Therefore the Board recently adjourned making a decision on a small number of applications for an entry in the Register of Intercountry Adoptions. The Board is currently seeking advice from its legal advisors.

The Board recognised 124 adoption from Russia in 2011 and 51 in 2012 and 3 to date in 2013.

The Deputy may be aware that I recently travelled to Moscow, accompanied by Dr Geoffrey Shannon, Chair of the Adoption Authority of Ireland, in order to discuss at a diplomatic level issues in relation to the potential for a bilateral agreement with Russia. During my visit I met with my counter part, Minister Dmitry Livanov, Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. This meeting was productive and allowed for an exchange of views on the possibility of Ireland entering into a bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption with Russia.

The Russian authorities acknowledged the satisfactory outcomes for Russian children adopted in Ireland and expressed a willingness to conclude an agreement with Ireland which will be subject to the approval of the Russian parliament. My Department, together with the AAI, will continue efforts to develop proposals in this regard with a view to a possible visit by Russian officials to Ireland in the coming months.