Irish Adoption of Vietnamese Children on Hold

Ireland: Doubt remains over adoptions from Vietnam for Irish 20 couples

July 4, 2010

From The Post.IE:

Twenty Irish couples who were told that their adoptions from Vietnam would be expedited 12 months ago still do not know if their adoptions will ever go through.

The couples’ applications had been approved by Vietnamese authorities, and were at an advanced stage, when the state decided not to renew the bilateral agreement it had with Vietnam.

That agreement lapsed on May 1, 2009, leaving many Irish couples unable to complete their adoptions. Some prospective adopters have been in the system for six or seven years.
Barry Andrews, the Minister for Children, vowed to ensure their adoptions progressed, but a number of the couples said ‘‘nothing had happened’’. It is understood that some applicants have applied to adopt elsewhere.

One woman said she was ‘‘incredibly frustrated’’ at the delay.

‘‘The whole thing has gone completely quiet,” she said. Andrews said he was still committed to enabling those adoptions to proceed.

He was speaking before the enactment of the Adoption Bill 2009, which passed through all stages of the Oireachtas last week.

The passing of the legislation, which ensures Irish laws comply with the Hague Convention on intercountry adoption, was widely welcomed.

The legislation is expected to be commenced in early November. Adoptions from Vietnam are also set to restart from January next year.