Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me an opportunity to raise the important issue of international adoption, which affects hundreds of families across the country. I had thought the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, might be with us for this debate because she has had a long interest in this matter. Nonetheless, I am happy that the Minister of State, Deputy Costello, is here to advise us on the Helping Hands adoption agency.

This Government has continued the considerable efforts of its predecessor to ensure Ireland's adoption regime complies fully with the Hague Convention. It is of vital importance that all adoptions entered into nationally and internationally have an unassailable legal basis. My party, and perhaps others as well, has received a number of e-mails about issues relating to the Helping Hands adoption agency. I was particularly struck by an e-mail from a woman who, with her husband, is part of a group of 20 couples that have been involved with the Vietnam adoption process for almost seven years. Their packs were in Vietnam when the adoption process was closed, and they have been advised that they will be among the first couples to be processed now that it has reopened. These couples will be travelling to Vietnam along with the approved and licensed mediation agency in this instance, which is the Helping Hands agency. This adoption agency has been working with Irish couples on Vietnamese adoptions for many years. It has a good knowledge of the process and a good relationship with the Vietnamese authorities. The director of the agency, Ms Sharon O'Driscoll, recently returned from Vietnam having travelled there to participate in the interview process required to secure her licence. All went well and she hopes to receive her licence in March.

Helping Hands was financed by the HSE until 2011, but it has not received any funding since then. The HSE had advised that it would reinstate the funding when Helping Hands was reaccredited. This happened last October but we have yet to see white smoke from the HSE. Helping Hands may have to close because its creditors and the Revenue Commissioners are demanding overdue payments.

Without the HSE funding, however, Helping Hands cannot pay its bills. The recent visit to Vietnam was paid for out of lottery funding and this was arranged by the office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs. In fairness to the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald, I understand she has always supported the Helping Hands case and has worked in the past to move this issue forward.

Last year, a new agreement on adoption was announced between Ireland and Vietnam, and Helping Hands attended the announcement in Farmleigh. This received considerable media and television coverage in both Ireland and Vietnam. It will reflect badly in both Ireland and in Vietnam if, having gone through the process of audit, Helping Hands does not receive from the Irish Government the funding it requires in order to operate as an intermediary. This funding should be State-supplied, as per the Hague conditions. If this is privately funded, one gets into the area of business or adoption for profit, which is contrary to international adoption aims.

The situation for Helping Hands and the 100-plus couples who are registered with it is critical and will come to a head in the very near future. To offer a direct quote from the couple who contacted us: "We are so close to completing our long journey and do not want this delay to jeopardise the conclusion of our adoption". I understand the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs may be working towards a resolution of this and I hope the Minister of State, Deputy Costello, is in a position to indicate to us that real and achievable progress is imminent.

See this speech in context