Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 177: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the agreement reached by the joint working group established under Part V of the Agreement on Mutual Co-operation Concerning Adoption between Ireland and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam with regard to the provision of technical assistance to implement the agreement regarding adoption matters; the nature of the technical assistance provided by Ireland to Vietnam pursuant to any such agreement; the steps taken by the State during the currency of the agreement to ensure the principles applicable to inter-country adoption as agreed between the two states were properly applied in the best interests of children eligible for adoption pursuant to the agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35620/09]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 178: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of meetings held by the joint working group pursuant to chapter five of the Agreement on Mutual Co-operation Concerning Adoption between Ireland the Socialist Republic of Vietnam pursuant to the bilateral agreement made in Hanoi on 23 September 2003; the location of each such meeting held and the dates on which each such meeting was held; the persons appointed to the joint working group by this State; the number of reports received from the group reviewing and evaluating the implementation of the agreement; if she will place these reports in the Library of the Houses of the Oireachtas and publish same. [35621/09]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 192: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the form of humanitarian financial support agreed to be provided by authorised organisations licensed under the agreement on mutual co-operation concerning adoption between Ireland and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam made on 23 September 2003 for child-care centres in Vietnam and the sum of money authorised as payable during the currency of the said agreement; if it was agreed that such humanitarian aid contributed by eligible adopters during the currency of the agreement be a matter for determination by the relevant Vietnamese provincial government authorities; if the sums that an agency (details supplied) received from eligible adopters and provided to the Vietnamese authorities by way of humanitarian aid are in compliance with the express provisions of the 2003 agreement and the arrangements for such aid agreed within the joint working group; and if she will publish the evaluations and reviews conducted by the joint working group on the provision of such humanitarian financial aid and supports as envisaged pursuant to Article 24 of the 2003 agreement. [35720/09]

Barry Andrews (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to answer Questions Nos. 177, 178 and 192 together.

The Joint Working Group referred to by the Deputy did not meet on a formal basis. However a number of joint meetings between officials from Ireland and Vietnam were held on an ad hoc basis to support the implementation of the Agreement. Representatives of my Department and/or the Adoption Board met with their Vietnamese counterparts as required to review issues relating to adoptions from Vietnam on foot of the Agreement. Officials from my Department visited Vietnam on at least 5 occasions since the signing of the bilateral agreement in 2003. I have asked the Adoption Board to provide details of visits made by them to Vietnam in the same period and I will revert to the Deputy when the information becomes available.

During the course of these visits some of the matters discussed included co-operation on technical assistance, staff training, providing assistance to State competent authorities involved in adoption and the care of children as referred to in Article 24 of the Bilateral Agreement.

The issue of humanitarian aid, is referred to in Article 8. 2 of the Bilateral Agreement which states that "when applying for a licence to operate in the state of origin an authorised organisation must submit its non profit plan.....including humanitarian financial assistance for nurturing institutions in the State of Origin". Article 24 allows for the reviewing and evaluating of this aid by the Joint Working Group however the Irish Government had no role in authorising any amounts payable or which organisation in the sending country received such monies. Governance and accounting issues in relation to humanitarian aid was discussed during more recent meetings.

The issues discussed at all meetings fed into the thinking and drafting of future bilateral agreements and also informed the deliberations on the intercountry adoption aspects of the Adoption Bill 2009. Reports have been prepared by officials of my Department on foot of some of these visits but it is not my intention to publish these reports or place them in the Oireachtas library.