Responsibility of Applicants to Ensure Validity of Declaration of Eligibility and Suitability
 
All prospective adoptive parents seeking to apply for an adoption order or an intercountry adoption order must first obtain a Declaration of Eligibility and Suitability (“Declaration”) pursuant to section 40 of the Adoption Acts 2010 – 2017.  A Declaration will apply for a period of 24 months following which, on application to the Authority for an extension within those 24 months, it may be extended for a further period of 12 months. 
 
In the event that a Declaration expires following its 12-month extension, no further extension may be granted and the applicant must make a fresh application. For the duration of any adoption or intercountry adoption process, it is the responsibility of each applicant to ensure that their Declaration remains valid and it is not the responsibility of the Adoption Authority of Ireland to notify an applicant when their Declaration has expired or is due to expire.  The Adoption Authority of Ireland cannot grant any adoption order or intercountry adoption order if a Declaration has expired.”