Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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347. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the arrangements he is putting in place to compensate couples who have paid deposits to an adoption agency here (details supplied) which has now ceased operations; why Government funding was agreed and then withdrawn; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40085/15]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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I am aware that there is an issue regarding the repayment to clients of refundable registration fees they are owed by the agency the Deputy has referred to. These fees were paid as part of an agreement between this agency and its clients. My Department was not party to this agreement and therefore has no legal responsibility for repayment of these fees. While my Department made a once off payment of €10,000 to assist the agency in question in repaying clients that were due their refundable registration fees in July 2014, repayment of these fees and any other legacy debts are clearly a matter for the Board of the agency in question. Despite this, my Department indicated to this agency last December that I was willing to examine the question of legacy debt relating to refundable registration fees. This is a complex matter which requires careful examination, but my Department and I hope to reach a conclusion on the matter as soon as possible.

My Department provided interim funding of €10,000 per month to the agency in question from January 2014 to May 2015 to assist with operational costs and to allow an opportunity to work towards a sustainable model of service provision. It was never the intention of my Department to fund the operational costs fully, and this was always made clear to the agency. This funding was suspended earlier this year, while consideration of a review of the arrangements for the provision of intercountry adoption services was under way.

The Adoption Authority of Ireland advised my Department in mid-September that the agency in question would not be seeking re-accreditation next year. I and my Department’s immediate concern was to ensure that there is a contingency plan in place, to ensure that any adoptions which are progressing are not adversely effected. With this in mind, I approved operational funding for the agency up to a maximum of €40,000 on 14 October 2015, for a limited period, towards staffing and overhead costs to facilitate the transfer of case files to the Adoption Authority.

The Adoption Authority of Ireland is working with the agency in question regarding the transfer of client files to the Authority. The Adoption Authority and the agency meet on a weekly basis to review progress from the previous week and to plan for the week ahead. The Department also receives regular updates from both. The Adoption Authority of Ireland has advised my Department that nearly two thirds of the agency's client files have been transferred to the Authority to date, including 11 live case files which were transferred as a priority. The remaining client files are transferring on an agreed scheduled basis, with an expected completion date of November 20th.

Both the Adoption Authority and the agency in question have been in contact with clients to advise them of the current position. If clients have additional queries, a number of contact points within the Authority have been provided to them.