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Monday, July 27, 2009
HUNDREDS of Irish couples hoping to adopt a baby from abroad have every right to feel aggrieved over delays in vetting their applications or resolving inter- country difficulties.
Along with the children whose dreams of a better life are being dimmed, prospective parents are consigned to Limbo by HSE inefficiencies, failure to resolve a lapsed bilateral agreement between this country and Vietnam, and blacklisting by Russia. Since Irish babies are no longer available for adoption, there has been such an increase in the number of foreign adoptions in recent years that Ireland now has one of the highest rates of inter-country adoption in Europe.
However, any couple here wishing to adopt a baby has to navigate a bewildering maze of red tape, a frustrating assessment process that can take anywhere from 10 months to four years. If anything, instead of improving, the application logjam seems to be getting worse.
It is no exaggeration to say the hopes and dreams of families are being shattered by the failure of the relevant Irish authorities to send post-placement reports back to Russia in time to meet the demands of the authorities there, and also by the Government’s failure to renew the bilateral adoption agreement with Vietnam.
If a level playing field existed in Ireland, there might be some excuse and the Russians or Vietnamese could be blamed. But a major cause of ongoing delays is the frustrating variance in the different regions of the HSE, the body responsible for processing adoptions. Overall, its handling of this affair has been an administrative shambles. It goes without saying that in every adoption, the interests of children must override all other considerations. To safeguard their future, it is vital the vetting process be thorough in every respect.
There is grave onus on Ireland, Vietnam and Russia, to ensure the interests and rights of children are protected at all times. In that context, persistent allegations of bribery in Vietnam must be fully investigated. Children cannot be bought and sold.
According to HSE statistics seen by the Irish Examiner, nearly 1,000 applicants were waiting last year to go through the required preparation course before reaching the point of being assessed by a social worker. And that’s where the frustration really begins.
According to the International Adoption Association, something is seriously wrong with the waiting times in Ireland which it describes as "appalling". Against that, the HSE pledge to reduce waiting lists in Dublin, Kildare and Wicklow by 35% in the next 12 months is to be welcomed – if only it can be believed.
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