The Adoption Authority of Ireland, established on 1 November 2010 under the Adoption Act 2010, is an independent quasi-judicial body under the aegis of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY). The Authority is also, in line with The Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, the central authority for intercountry adoption in Ireland. The purpose of the Adoption Act 2010 is to improve standards in both domestic and intercountry adoption.
In accordance with D/PER Circular 25/2016 - Protocol for the Provision of Information to Members of the Oireachtas by State Bodies under the aegis of Government Departments/Offices, the Authority are obliged to:
Provide and maintain a dedicated email address (corporate@aai.gov.ie) for Oireachtas members and notify/publicise this to Oireachtas members (available on the Authority’s website).
Put in place formal feedback processes to obtain feedback from Oireachtas members.
Comply with target deadlines and standards in terms of acknowledgements and responses to queries. As stated in the Authority’s Customer Charter, each section inbox is monitored on a daily basis and the Authority will make every effort to send an email of acknowledgment within two working days. Where it is not possible to provide a definitive reply with the acknowledgment, a reply will be provided within 10 working days.
The Head of Compliance has the responsibility for ensuring the timely provision of information to members of the Oireachtas.
Report annually (in the Chairperson’s comprehensive report to the Minister) on compliance with standards set out in Circular 25/2016.
Seek, where appropriate, to publish the response to queries from members of the Oireachtas on the Authority’s website.
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