20 Irish couples still waiting to adopt Vietnamese children

NO time scale has been set for the processing of 20 adoptions agreed between the Irish and Vietnamese authorities.

Following the collapse of the agreement between the two countries last May, the Office of the Children’s Minister persuaded Vietnamese authorities to allow 20 couples, whose applications had been fully processed by Hanoi, to travel to Vietnam and adopt. It is thought Vietnam agreed to the move as a “goodwill” gesture.

However, this process was also delayed, reportedly due to a lack of expertise available to the Irish Adoption Board, following the revocation of the licence of Helping Hands agency.