Adoption body officials visit Vietnam to address procedural concerns

OFFICIALS from the Adoption Authority have travelled to Vietnam to examine if serious concerns about adoption practices in the country have been addressed.

Chairman of the Adoption Authority, Geoffrey Shannon, and its chief executive, Elizabeth Canavan, travelled to the south-east Asian country for a three-day visit.

The visit was intended to gather information and report to Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald on improvements in adoption procedures in Vietnam.

Ireland ceased adopting children from Vietnam after it chose not to resume its bilateral agreement with the country in May 2009.

This decision was taken based on a number of concerns raised in Unicef’s International Social Services report.

The report cited major concerns that there was virtually “no active promotion of domestic adoptions” in Vietnam so that children could, at the very least, remain in their country of birth.

Major concerns were also raised about the origin of children.

The report also found that adoptions from the country were influenced by foreign demand rather than the needs of actual “abandoned” and orphaned children.

The Irish Examiner understands that the decision was also influenced by “serious concerns” over adoption practices in Vietnam which were expressed directly to the then Adoption Board by the Irish Embassy in Hanoi.

Speaking about the information gathering trip, Adoption Authority chairman Geoffrey Shannon said any new information regarding Vietnam would be posted on the authority’s website as soon as it is available.

“Ireland has a recent tradition of adoption from Vietnam and has enjoyed good relationships with that country. The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a sovereign state and will make its own decisions on the ratification and implementation of the Hague Convention.

“Our purpose in travelling is to gain information which will support our understanding of the progress made and the processes now envisaged. It will also be an opportunity to seek information on the manner in which Vietnam proposes to implement the convention, including, inter alia, which countries it proposes to work with in the future,” he said.

Vietnam has signed up to the convention but not yet ratified it. Vietnamese officials have indicated it is expected to ratify the convention in June.

Irish people adopted more than 600 children from Vietnam between 2002 and 2008.