Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)

That is the point I am trying to make. We need to be careful about saying Helping Hands Adoption Mediation Agency is completely vindicated by the report it commissioned. It is difficult to stand over that. It is not a case of vindication. Let us be clear about what went on and what ISS had to say. The Adoption Board, which is an independent organisation with important functions, is carrying out that inquiry. We want to improve matters and move things on and the consequences of this can be uncomfortable and difficult for people involved.

If we learned anything from our adoption history, where we sent thousands of children out of this country because of the stigma associated with births outside marriage, this is an opportunity to learn those lessons. Many people have tried to come back here to trace their history and have had positive experiences. All studies on intercountry adoption have been very positive. Much of the credit for this goes to the assessment process, which is overly long but is very fair in its substance. It allows parents to come to terms with what they might expect when adopting from abroad.

I saw the information about Vietnam in the newspaper last Sunday and I am delighted. When I went to Vietnam it was clear to me that the fact that Ireland, Sweden and the US had closed intercountry adoption to Vietnam was having an effect. Certain changes seem to be afoot as a consequence. When the ISS recommended that countries suspend adoptions until Vietnam adopted the Hague Convention, we took the advice. It seems to have had positive effects. One cannot say it was definitely the reason that Vietnam seems to be much closer to compliance with the Hague Convention than before. As soon as Vietnam is compliant with the Hague Convention and as soon as Ireland is compliant with the Hague Convention - the last country in Europe to do so - we will be able to resume adoptions from Vietnam.