Fidelma Healy Eames (Fine Gael)

I second the amendment. I regard this amendment as providing for the minimum standard. It is generally the practice that information, advice and counselling is provided to a birth parent who is considering whether to place a child for adoption but there is merit in arguing for requiring this in the legislation. Correct me if I am wrong in assuming that the only instance in which adequate counselling is not provided is where another member of the family or a new partner adopts the child.

We have to uphold adoption standards and I recognise the Minister of State is concerned about this issue. I ask him to clarify for the House the issues that remain outstanding between Ireland and Vietnam in regard to the bilateral agreement. Some 600 Irish families have adopted Vietnamese children and this country's adoptive parents have a great record. France and Italy have renewed their bilateral agreements with Vietnam. What is it we want that the Vietnamese cannot provide? I would be grateful if the Minister of State could go a little further in giving us information on the human context. As we all know from the hundreds of e-mails we receive, this is a human issue. Families are in torment because of the uncertainty. They have been waiting for years and, just when they thought it was over, this hurdle is put in their path. It appears the Government is stopping them.