Ireland Likely to Resume Adoptions from Vietnam UPDATED

“Discussions between Ireland and Vietnam on reopening the south-east Asian state for Irish couples pursuing inter-country adoptions are expected to begin within weeks, The Sunday Business Post understands.

By negotiating a new administrative agreement with Vietnam, some 200 Irish couples in limbo would be in a position to begin adopting from Vietnam in October.

It is widely expected that Irish officials will be given the go-ahead to proceed with negotiations after Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald received a positive report on the progress made on adoption and child protection processes after the recent return of an Irish delegation that travelled to the country to ‘‘assess and report on the country’s progress’’.

A spokeswoman for the minister said the report would be considered by government and a decision on how to proceed would be made in conjunction with the Adoption Authority ‘‘within two to three weeks’’. The delegation, which included Adoption Authority chairman Geoffrey Shannon and chief executive Elizabeth Canavan, concluded that significant improvements had been made since Ireland chose not to resume its bilateral agreement with Vietnam.

In a statement last week, Shannon said: ‘‘It is clear from our discussions on the ground that the Vietnamese government has introduced a significant programme of reform, including new laws on adoption in line with the Hague Convention on intercountry adoption, as well as reforms to develop its wider child protection system.”

Ireland decided against resuming the bilateral agreement with Vietnam in May 2009. At the time, the department said the decision was based on concerns raised in a Unicef report.

According to the Adoption Authority, there are about 200 prospective adopters with declarations of eligibility and suitability who want to adopt from Vietnam.

Vietnam has now signed the Hague Convention, which provides a framework to regulate inter-country adoption, and that is due to be fully ratified on October 1.Under the Adoption Act, which became law last November, people in Ireland can only pursue intercountry adoptions from states that have ratified the Hague adoption convention or have a bilateral agreement with Ireland.”

Adoptions From Vietnam May Resume
[The Post 5/22/11 by Susan Mitchell]

Update: The agreement is expected to be signed in September 2012 according to Children’s Minister Francis Fitzgerald.

Vietnam to sign new adoption pact after two-year suspension

[Irish Independent 7/3/12]

Preliminary agreement was reached. “Some 19 couples in particular were at an advanced stage in the adoption process when agreement came to an end three years ago.

Many of these couples had been in limbo as to what to do as they were unaware of the timeframe that it would take for negotiations to open up between both sides.

Irish and Vietnamese authorities agreed in principle to the deal after initial talks began.

In April, Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald confirmed to the Herald that a delegation would be visiting Dublin before June.

The Minister visited the country in January in a bid to get talks between both sides moving.”

Vietnam is to restart Irish adoption bids

[Herald 7/3/12 by Dwayne Leavy]

 

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update 2: “ADOPTION links between  Ireland and Vietnam will officially reopen next week after a  new deal was struck between the two countries.

The Herald can reveal that Irish couples will finally be able to adopt Vietnamese children by the end of the year follow discussions led by Childrens’ Minister Frances Fitzgerald.

The minister confirmed to the Herald that an agreement will be signed with the  Vietnamese Justice Minister, Ha Hung Cuong, in Dublin on Monday.

It means Vietnamese children will be adopted by couples here for the first time since the previous agreement ended in 2009.

“I’m delighted that the path has now been cleared for safe adoptions between Vietnam and Ireland.

“A lot of work had gone into making this happen in the past year. It is the first international adoption agreement that the Vietnam authorises have signed with any country since the Hague convention,” Ms Fitzgerald revealed.

Intense

“We are planning a family day for tomorrow and the Vietnamese Justice Minister will be in Dublin to sign the agreement on Monday.

“I would expect the first adoptions to take place later this year so this is great news for parents hoping to enter the adoption process,” she added.

The breakthrough in negotiations will come as a massive relief to more than 200 couples who were in the early stages of the adoption process with Vietnam when a bilateral adoption agreement ended in May 2009.

Some 19 couples in particular were at an advanced stage in the adoption process when agreement came to an end.[But have these children been reunited with their families or offered domestic adoption first?]

Many of these couples had been in limbo as to what to do as they were unaware of the time-frame that it would take for negotiations to open up between both sides.

However after intense discussions, an official agreement will now be signed — paving the way for adoptions to be organised by Irish couples.

The first adoption is expected to take place by the end of 2012.”

Vietnam adoption deal brings relief to Irish couples

[Herald 9/22/12 by Kevin Doyle]

They sign agreement on Monday September 24, 2012.

Ireland and Vietnam sign agreement that will allow adoptions to resume

[Irish Times 9/24/12 by Ronan McGreevy]

“Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald hosted a family day yesterday in Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park for Irish families who have adopted Vietnamese children.

She said the event allowed the families to demonstrate how they are maintaining the Vietnamese identity and heritage.

“I hope Ireland and Vietnam will forge a close understanding and working relationship between the adoption authorities in both countries,” she added.”

Ireland and Vietnam to sign adoption agreement

[Irish Independent 9/24/12]

Update 3: Helping Hands Adoption Mediation Agency (HHAMA) has been awarded a license to facilitate adoptions from Vietnam for Irish applicants.

“Fine Gael TD for Waterford, Paudie Coffey, has   welcomed the news that Helping Hands Adoption Mediation Agency (HHAMA) has been awarded a licence to facilitate adoptions from Vietnam for Irish applicants.

“This is great news for Waterford families who have been involved in the adoption process for a number of years now. Since taking office two years ago, the Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald, has made reforming the adoption process in this country a major priority of her Ministry. We are seeing real progress in this area which will hopefully lead to a positive conclusion for all involved.

“Helping Hands has been facilitating adoption in this country for many years, allowing couples to start or expand their families through adoption. Over the last number of years, it has been very difficult for parents to adopt in Vietnam when the Fianna Fáíl-led Government allowed the bilateral agreement between the two countries to lapse. The Russian authorities also blacklisted Ireland which prevented many would be adopters from adopting children.

“HHAMA is the first agency to be accredited in facilitating adoptions of Vietnamese children for Irish parents under the new law brought in by Minister Fitzgerald. I would like to thank everyone involved in resolving this matter, allowing prospective Waterford parents to adopt children from Vietnam.”

Relief for Waterford families as adoption agency given licence for Vietnam

[Waterford Today 4/23/13]