Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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295. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress of the accreditation process between Ireland and Kazakhstan for the purposes of adoption between the two countries; the progress of the formalisation of an administration agreement between the relevant adoption authorities of both countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38141/16]

Katherine Zappone (Dublin South West, Independent)
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The Adoption Authority of Ireland has advised me that a delegation from the Embassy of Kazakhstan in London attended a meeting in Dublin with the Authority on 25th February 2016 to discuss the possibility of future adoptions from Kazakhstan.

At that meeting Kazakhstan indicated their openness to receiving an application for accreditation from an Irish adoption agency. The Authority requested Helping Hands Adoption Mediation Agency to begin the process of seeking accreditation in Kazakhstan. Helping Hands has submitted an application to Ministry of Justice in Kazakhstan and a decision on the application is pending.

The Authority has advised that for inter-country adoption to be undertaken, the Kazakhstan authorities have stated that any accredited agency will be required to establish a permanent presence in Kazakhstan. The need, if any, for an administrative arrangement is not currently being addressed by the Authority pending the outcome of application for accreditation by Helping Hands.