Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 164: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, during 2008 annual general meeting of the International Adoption Agency, or at any stage around that time, she had contact (details supplied) with the director of the Department of International Adoption within the Vietnamese Government; the issues which were discussed; the reason moves to arrange a new bilateral agreement could not be progressed at that time; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35437/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In October 2008, during the course of the IAA conference, I was introduced to Dr. Long, the then Director of the Department of International Adoption within the Vietnamese Government. I had no substantive discussions with him. An official of my Office had a courtesy meeting with Dr Long during his time in Ireland and outlined the developments underway regarding the draft provisions of the Adoption Bill.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 165: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will confirm that contrary to UN reports there is no evidence that an agency (details supplied) is involved in or is being investigated for improper behaviour in terms of its dealings with Vietnamese agencies or the children being adopted by Irish parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35438/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I have recently received, in draft form, a report of an examination of intercountry adoption in Vietnam carried out by the International Social Services (ISS). The Report was commissioned by UNICEF in co-ordination with the Ministry of Justice of Vietnam. It aims, inter alia, to "identify and address problems in both domestic and Intercountry Adoption processes with a view to assisting Vietnam in its preparations to ratify the Hague Convention." I do not propose to comment on this report pending its finalisation.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 166: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if she will elaborate her concerns regarding the treatment of children in Vietnam, as outlined in UN reports, that are contributing to delays in the final signing off on an agreement between Ireland and Vietnam regarding the adoption of Vietnamese children by Irish parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35439/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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In late August, I was made aware of two significant Reports regarding child welfare, protection and adoption in Vietnam. Firstly, the Vietnamese Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, with technical assistance from UNICEF in Vietnam, published a Report known as the 'MoLISA Report'. The Report found that, inter alia: there are no detailed principles or criteria to guide the assessment in Vietnam of prospective guardians, foster parents or substitute families for orphans; there is no framework for the systematic, professional assessment of orphans and abandoned children to determine what type of placement would be in their best interest, and to ensure that they are matched with the most appropriate alternative family; there is no clear requirement that decisions about alternative care be based on the child's best interest; there is no clear statement in law that international adoptions shall be used only as a last resort, once all options for placement within the country have been considered; there are no systematic procedures for ensuring that all efforts are made to find a suitable domestic family before consideration of international options; there is no requirement that birth parents be given counselling and be clearly informed of the consequences of adoption prior to giving consent.

The Report contains a series of recommendations including, the need to: reform the institutional care of orphaned and abandoned children in Vietnam; provide counselling to birth parents prior to giving consent to adoption; intensify preparations for accession to the Hague Convention on inter-country adoption; centralise authority to consider and approve inter-country adoptions, and stipulate that international adoptions may be considered only after all other options have been explored and, also, that the child cannot be placed into foster care or with a family or cannot, in any suitable manner, be cared for in Vietnam.

In addition to the MoLISA Report, I have recently received, in draft form, the report of an examination of inter-country adoption in Vietnam carried out by the International Social Services (ISS). The Report was jointly commissioned by UNICEF and the Vietnamese Ministry of Justice and seeks, inter alia, to "identify and address problems in both domestic and inter-country adoption processes with a view to assisting Vietnam in its preparations to ratify the Hague Convention". I am awaiting publication of this Report.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 167: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans to provide financial assistance to parents seeking to adopt children internationally in view of the high costs and long timeframe involved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35440/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I have no plans to provide financial assistance to parents seeking to adopt children internationally. The Adoption Bill 2009 which, I envisage will come before the Dail in the current session provides for the payment of fees to agencies involved in Intercountry Adoption. This may assist in producing a more streamlined and cost effective process for Intercountry Adoption.

Paul Gogarty (Dublin Mid West, Green Party)
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Question 168: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if an analysis has been carried out regarding the length of time it takes to process overseas adoption requests in different parts of the country due to uneven spread of social worker resources; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that in some areas applications can thus be processed within two to three years, whereas in Dublin it can take much longer; her views on whether this constitutes discrimination against couples in Dublin seeking to adopt; if this anomaly will be dealt with. [35441/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I have previously expressed concern regarding the length of time it takes to process adoption requests and I intend to have further discussions with the HSE in this regard with a view to establishing whether improvements can be effected.