Vietnamese adoptions set to resume – Breen

CLARE families who were left in a frustrating limbo during the process of adopting children from Vietnam look set to receive good news over the coming months.

Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald has confirmed the suspension of Ireland’s bilateral agreement in May 2009 should be lifted in the near future following the resolution of all technical issues between the two countries.
The announcement has been welcomed by Clare Fine Gael Deputies, Pat Breen and Joe Carey, who have been working with Clare couples who were left waiting since the suspension of the bilateral agreement.
The two deputies claimed very little effort was expended on rectifying the situation until Minister Fitzgerald came to office and credited renewed diplomatic efforts undertaken by the Government with the breakthrough, which will result in the ratification of the Hague Convention by the Vietnamese Government early in February.
Having visited Vietnam in his role as chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee, Deputy Breen recalled he found the Justice Minister and the Vietnamese government were very supportive and anxious to re-new bilateral arrangements.
“Following her visit to Vietnam, Minister Fitzgerald outlined a number of steps, which will now be undertaken in the coming weeks. Firstly, an administrative agreement must be put in place with Vietnam. Secondly, the Adoption Authority of Ireland has to complete its work on the accreditation of agencies, which is essential to ensure that we have an agency that will assist adoptive couples in Vietnam. Thirdly, the Children’s Minister has also invited the Vietnamese justice minister to Ireland and she is hopeful that, pending these developments, inter-country adoptions could begin again between Ireland and Vietnam in the coming months.”
Deputy Breen also raised the possibility of entering negotiations on a bilateral inter-country adoption agreement with Ethiopia with its Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in Addis Ababa when he was in Ethiopia and he assured him he would bring his concerns to the attention of his relevant Cabinet colleagues.
“Minister Fitzgerald confirmed she has given approval to the Adoption Authority of Ireland to commence the process of examining the feasibility of a bilateral agreement with Ethiopia. However, there are a number of issues which have to addressed, as the country is not yet a signatory to the Hague Convention,” he explained.
Deputy Carey asked Minister Fitzgerald when adoptions could formally commence after an assurance from the chairman of the Irish Adoption Authority last June that no impediments would exist after October 2011.
He also asked when an agency would be accredited to Vietnam and questioned the current position in relation to the accreditation process for the Helping Hands organisation.