Alan Farrell (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

I acknowledge the respect and sensitivity reflected today by all Deputies who have spoken on this important and delicate issue. The outstanding progress made over recent months on intercountry adoptions is a result of the commitment and dedication of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and her officials along with the ongoing work of the Adoption Authority of Ireland.

Two years ago 19 families, with 200 in application stages, had their hopes crushed when the adoption process broke down between Ireland and Vietnam. In the space of one month after taking office, the Minister had taken the matter in hand by requesting personal engagement between Vietnamese officials and the Adoption Authority of Ireland. This is a commendable action to have taken. To have come to a solution within this period of time is an enormous achievement and I trust it has given encouragement and hope to those affected by the setbacks of several years ago, as well as those tentatively considering adoption as a possible option. It is a very positive step for the Vietnamese to adopt the Hague Convention which will come into force in Vietnam on 1 February. I take the opportunity to commend them for this.

I understand a lot of work has yet to be done and that those in the process of being considered eligible to adopt have a long and complicated process to complete. The sad reality is that couples turn to adoption as their last hope to have a family of their own. Unfortunately, at this stage most will have been through years of trauma, in coming to terms with the life-changing realisation that they will not be able to have biological children of their own. Years of hoping and subsequent failing to start a family take their toll, emotionally and financially.

The expense and ordeal in exhausting every possible fertility treatment available can, with the uncertainty and disappointment that come with it, mean that someone can be very vulnerable by the time they enter the adoption process. To consider that at this stage a couple will be met with the complicated and lengthy process that is necessary but not always successful is reason enough to hope and strive for improvement. It puts a large responsibility on the country's adoption services to ensure the process is made as straightforward and pain free as possible. Therefore, the procedures in place must be of the highest standards for their sake and that of the child. This is of the upmost importance.

The safety and care of the child are at the heart of the matter and certainty is to be found by way of the Hague Convention. This will ensure the vital high standards of the process are sustained, ensuring safety and peace of mind for the child and family involved. However, we must remain vigilant, including, as was illustrated recently, countries that have signed the Hague Convention, as well as families attempting to adopt.

The Government and the Irish Adoption Authority must ensure the process takes no longer than 12 to 18 months once parents have been certified as suitable candidates. This is particularly relevant in the light of the victims innocently caught up in the illegal adoption cases in Mexico which have caused such pain to those involved. This scenario is every adoptive parent's worst nightmare, traumatic for all involved and must be avoided. Notwithstanding this, I sincerely welcome anything that can be done within the limits of the Adoption Act to make the process quicker for genuine adoption cases.

I pay tribute to the amazing work done by the huge number of foster families who care for in excess of 95% of the 6,000 children in the care of the State. I take the opportunity to acknowledge them.

I welcome the decision to review the flexibilities offered by the Adoption Act 2010, whereby countries that have not ratified the Hague Convention can still enter into a bilateral agreement with Ireland. I support the Minister's proactive, yet cautionary, approach in this regard.

I acknowledge the commitment of and the work the Minister has put in in the past few months, with particular reference to her personal engagements on behalf of people in Ireland and to ensure the rights and protection of children in Vietnam. I know the Adoption Authority of Ireland was by her side at every step. I am optimistic that this will give hope to those undergoing this process and that they themselves recognise the importance of having a safe and secure method of adoption which is in the best interests of the child and of the future of the family.

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