Erin McGreehan (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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776. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to provide aggregated figures for 2018 to date on requests concerning parental child-abduction cases to non-Hague jurisdictions (details supplied); and the guidance issued by his Department to An Garda Síochána on such requests. [61757/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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By way of information, there are two distinct scenarios that can apply in International Child Abduction cases. The first is where a child or children have been removed from this jurisdiction to a country that is a cooperating partner under the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction and the second is where children have been removed from this jurisdiction to a country that is not a party to that Convention.

In the first scenario, the Irish Central Authority for International Child Abduction (Central Authority) located within my Department, can assist in return and access cases. The Central Authority can only assist in cases where children have been removed from this jurisdiction to a country that is a cooperating partner under the 1980 Hague Convention, that is, where their accession is accepted by this jurisdiction. There is a published list of signatory countries to the Convention on the Hague Convention website.

In the second scenario where a child has been removed from this jurisdiction to a country that is not a party to that Convention, or is being wrongfully retained in such a country, it is important to understand those cases cannot be assisted by the Central Authority. In that case, supports are available for persons in a country not party to the Hague Convention, by contacting the Consular Services Section at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

www.gov.ie/en/department-of-foreign-affairs/services/child-abduction/#countries-not-party-to-the-hague-convention

Not all countries are party to the Hague Convention. As an example, Egypt remains outside of this Convention.

The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under the Policing, Security and Community Act 2024. Interactions between An Garda Síochána and INTERPOL are operational matters for the Commissioner. In relation to the Deputy's request for aggregated figures for 2018 to date on requests concerning parental child-abduction cases to non-Hague jurisdictions, I have contacted An Garda Síochána in this regard and will write to the Deputy separately when the information is to hand.