Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 94: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she has received recent communication from the Vietnamese Government regarding the interim arrangement on adopted children. [23479/09]

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will make a statement on a matter (details supplied). [23519/09]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Question 110: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, regarding the ongoing delays with the renewal of the bilateral agreement on adoptions between Ireland and Vietnam, she will provide an assurance that a new bilateral agreement will be in place with the Vietnamese authorities ahead of the summer 2009 recess; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23546/09]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 113: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position with regard to the bilateral adoption agreement between Ireland and Vietnam; and if, in view of the expiration of the existing agreement and the risk it poses to parents seeking to adopt in Vietnam, she will ensure that steps are taken to renew this agreement. [23554/09]

Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 114: To ask the Minister for Health and Children further to Parliamentary Question No. 189 of 26 May 2009, if there has been progress on the interim agreement requested by the Department of Foreign Affairs on 22 May 2009. [23556/09]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 118: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position in relation to the bilateral agreement between Ireland and Vietnam; the progress on same in the past four to six weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23569/09]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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Question 120: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress she has made with regard the implementation of an interim inter-country adoption agreement with Vietnam; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23698/09]

Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 127: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when a new bilateral agreement with Vietnam will be signed to allow for adoptions between Ireland and Vietnam to proceed; her views on the position prospective parents are in as a result of the fact that the previous agreement was not renewed on time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23730/09]

Olwyn Enright (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 128: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will confirm whether the Vietnamese authorities have been in contact with her since her request regarding an interim agreement between Ireland and Vietnam; if she has been in contact with the Vietnamese authorities seeking a response; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23732/09]

Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 129: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the status of the interim bilateral agreement with Vietnam as requested by Ireland on 22 May 2009; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23733/09]

Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 130: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position in relation to the negotiations regarding an adoption agreement with Vietnam; the stage these negotiations are currently at; the staff involved in these negotiations; when it is hoped to conclude this agreement; when adoptions will be allowed to proceed between these two countries; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23734/09]

Deirdre Clune (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 131: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason for the delay in conducting a bilateral adoption agreement with Vietnam; the steps that will be taken to resolve these difficulties; when this agreement will be concluded; if this agreement will be concluded before the Dáil summer recess; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23754/09]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 149: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the proposed new agreement with Vietnam in relation to adoption regulations; if she has contracted the Vietnamese Government in regard to this matter; if so, the result of negotiations; her views on correspondence (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23930/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 94, 105, 110, 113, 114, 118, 120, 127 to 131, inclusive, and 149 together.

The process on this matter has been on-going for many months now and the dialogue with the Vietnamese Authorities is continuing. Many deputies have sought guarantees and specific timeframes for the conclusion of a new agreement with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. I must reiterate my previous remarks on this point.

At this juncture, all options, including an interim inter-country adoption agreement, are actively being pursued by the Government to allow for the conclusion of discussions on a strengthened bi-lateral agreement and to facilitate continuity of the strong and positive relationship between both jurisdictions. It is not possible for me to either give a timetable or anticipate when discussions on the agreement will be finalised.

Discussions on a new bilateral agreement remain live and the request regarding the negotiation of an interim arrangement has been made. It is now a matter for the Vietnamese authorities and, as such, it would be improper for the Government to seek to influence or interfere with this decision-making process. My officials are in constant contact with the Department of Foreign Affairs and with the Embassy on the ground in Hanoi. As late as last Friday, my colleague the Minister for Foreign Affairs was in direct contact with the Vietnamese authorities regarding the matter.

I was informed by the Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday last that Helping Hands Mediation Agency's mediation licence has been revoked. The Government had requested that the mediation licence for Helping Hands be suspended rather than revoked in light of ongoing discussions on a bilateral agreement. In the absence of an intercountry adoption agreement, the Vietnamese Government was not in a position to make any exception to the granting of a licence to Helping Hands. As a consequence, 20 applications, which are currently in Hanoi, will be returned to the applicants. These applicants were not given referrals before the May 1st deadline. This is obviously disappointing news for all concerned. I advised the representative groups on this development on Friday last. The families involved have also been contacted by the Helping Hands Mediation Agency. The reinstatement of the Helping Hands licence is necessary to facilitate adoptions from Vietnam. The Irish Government is actively trying to establish the status of the request for an interim agreement and the associated licensing requirements.

Despite this development, I must emphasise that all families who have already received a referral in respect of a child from Vietnam will continue to have their application processed to conclusion and will be supported by the Helping Hands Meditation Agency in that process.

I realise that the pending Dáil summer recess is causing concern with fears being expressed that Government business will be suspended until the Dáil reconvenes in late September. This is not the case. I have already advised all of the interested parties of my willingness to travel to Hanoi to support the successful conclusion of these discussions, if that is deemed appropriate. That remains the position. The uncertainty surrounding this process has caused stress and anxiety to applicants/prospective adoptive parents. This is something I am acutely aware of and any information that comes to hand continues to be shared without delay.

I remain completely committed to concluding discussions on the text of the bi-lateral inter-country adoption agreement with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. I have explained the reasons for the renegotiation of the existing agreement. My policy objective is the protection of children. I want to provide the best possible assurances around international adoption and to improve standards for children and the families who apply to adopt from abroad. This is in line with the Government's commitment to ratify the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.