Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)

I thank Senator Minihan for raising this important matter and I concur with many of his comments on the substantive issue involved.

My colleague, Deputy Brian Lenihan, Minister of State with responsibility for children, has been advised by the Adoption Board that it wrote to the Vietnamese Minister for Justice, who has responsibility for adoption matters, in November 2001, January 2002 and again in September 2002 inquiring if it would be possible to enter into a working arrangement on adoption with Ireland and asking for confirmation on whether adoptions from Vietnam to Ireland will be suspended. Regretfully, the board has not received a response to date but I understand that Vietnam intends suspending all adoptions to countries that do not have a bilateral agreement in place on adoption as from 2 January 2003. The Adoption Board has offered, having regard to the impending restrictions, to fast-track any straightforward adoption applications that are currently on hand for Vietnam.

Due to the absence of a response from the Vietnamese authorities, my colleague, Deputy Lenihan, recently asked the Irish Ambassador to Vietnam to raise Ireland's interest in negotiating a bilateral agreement on adoption and to take the necessary steps to facilitate this process. He also asked the Department and the Adoption Board to assist the Ambassador in the negotiation process. In this respect, I have been advised that the Ambassador met the Vietnamese authorities yesterday and has reported the willingness of the Vietnamese side to enter into negotiations. I can also confirm that the Minister of State, Deputy Lenihan, is meeting with a number of Vietnamese adoption groups today to discuss this issue. It is intended to monitor progress in this regard and my colleague has asked his officials to keep him informed of developments.

In considering working arrangements with other countries, I know Senator Minihan will agree it is essential to be satisfied that these arrangements uphold the spirit of the Hague Convention on Inter-Country Adoption and that all adoptions take place in the best interests of the children concerned. With regard to the specific questions posed by Senator Minihan, I will respond by letter to him on those matters later today or tomorrow.

The Seanad adjourned at 3.30 p.m. until 2.30 p.m. on Tuesday, 10 December 2002.