Inter-Country Adoptions.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 22 April 2009

Wednesday, 22 April 2009

Ceisteanna (184, 185)

Pat Breen

Ceist:

236 Deputy Pat Breen asked the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the decision by the Russian Federal Ministry of Education not to accept documents from adoptive parents with a home study or post-place commitment from a list of ten providers; the implications of this decision for parents who have already applied; if she will expedite the outstanding post place reports to assist in this matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15085/09]

Jim O'Keeffe

Ceist:

240 Deputy Jim O’Keeffe asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason the ten Health Service Executive regions were added to the list of home study providers blacklisted by the Government of the Russian Federation on 3 April 2009; and the steps being taken to ensure that the concerns expressed by the Russian authorities are dealt with from the point of view of inter-country adoptions. [15341/09]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Health and Children (Deputy Mary Harney)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 236 and 240 together.

Post placement reports in relation to adoption are a requirement of a number of countries that send children to be adopted by Irish applicants. While there is no statutory basis for such reporting, the Health Service Executive has, and continues to, facilitate the preparation of such reports.

The Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has been in touch with the Health Service Executive to clarify the situation in relation to any such list of outstanding reports. The Health Service Executive has confirmed that reports continue to be supplied from all regions and that the Executive is following up in respect of reports which may be completed but not yet transmitted. However, it should be noted that responsibility for the translation and the transmission of the completed reports, in respect of children adopted from the Russian Federation, rests with the applicants.