Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 21 February 2012
588 Deputy Alan Farrell asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the way costs are justified in relation to an inter-country adoption between Ireland and Bulgaria following the increase in Anido costing of €5,256.00 to Arc costing of €16,650.00; the reason the costings have jumped three fold; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9200/12]
View answerIssues relating to the level of fees charged by an accredited body are a matter for the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) and are covered in some detail by the Adoption Act 2010 (Accredited Bodies) Regulations 2010. These regulations set out the standards which must be met by accredited bodies in order to satisfy the requirements of the Adoption Authority under the Adoption Act, 2010 (No. 21 of 2010) for entry in the register of accredited bodies.
The regulations set out, inter alia, the requirement for any body applying for accreditation to include in its Memorandum and Articles of Association that it is to be solely concerned with assisting in the adoption process on a not for profit basis. The regulations also set out a range of provisions in relation to financial reporting, fees and charges, including a provision that an accredited body shall submit to the Authority for prior approval its schedule of fees and any subsequent increases in fees or additions to the schedule.
