Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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556. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide an update on efforts to secure a bilateral adoption agreement between Ireland and Ethiopia; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40728/13]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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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 2012 was an initial part of the Authority's deliberations on the feasibility 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 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. The Authority has also sought and received advice on the legal compatibility of Irish adoption law with that of Ethiopia. The AAI legal advisors have considered this and certain clarifications are now being sought. The Authority will advise me of the position when all the information is available.

I am aware of the commitment and effort the Ethiopian Government is making towards ratifying the Hague Convention on intercountry adoption and this will be taken into account when considering options in regard to intercountry adoption from Ethiopia.