Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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447. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of cases dealt with by the Irish Central Authority within his Department, on a year-on-year basis over the past five years, in relation to international parental child abduction under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction 1980; the number of those cases that remain active; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29599/26]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, 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. 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. In the second scenario, it is important to understand those cases cannot be assisted by the Central Authority. In those cases, 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.

Please see below the statistics for the past five years, of new cases received for each year in relation to International Parental Child Abduction under the Hague Convention and the number of active cases currently in the Central Authority Unit as of 21 April. These figures do not include the other activities of the Unit, e.g. requests for access, social reports and change of jurisdiction.