Talks begin in bid to resume adoptions from Russia

AN Irish delegation has arrived in Moscow to begin negotiations on a bilateral agreement with Russia to resume adoptions from the country.

The delegation is headed by Adoption Authority chairman Geoffrey Shannon, who is being accompanied by two senior officials from the Department of Children.

The negotiations will be Ireland’s first efforts at securing a bilateral agreement with a country in respect of intercountry adoption under the Adoption Act 2010.

Under the act, which came into force last November, Irish people can only adopt from countries that have ratified the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption or with which Ireland has a bilateral agreement. Russia has, to date, failed to ratify the Hague Convention.

It is understood that an agreement will only be entered into if Russia is in compliance with Hague standards in terms of international best practice in relation to adoption.

Russia stopped processing all Irish adoption requests in April 2009 due to delays by authorities here in returning the required documentation.

According to figures released by the Adoption Authority, 1,229 Russian children were adopted by Irish people between 1991 and 2008, over 30% of the total number of foreign children (3,964) adopted by Irish people. The next two most popular countries were Romania, which is now closed to Irish adoptions, and Vietnam.

The Irish Examiner also understands that the suspension by Ireland of adoptions with Vietnam is to be lifted.

A spokesperson for the Department of Children said the Cabinet was briefed on the situation that a delegation from the Adoption Authority would travel there in the New Year to mark the entry into force of the Hague Convention in Vietnam.

Ireland ceased adopting children from Vietnam after it chose not to resume its bilateral agreement in May 2009 following concerns raised in Unicef’s International Social Services report.

The US had suspended adoptions from Vietnam in 2008 after it uncovered evidence of baby selling and “baby farming”. It is believed Ireland’s decision was influenced by similar “serious concerns”.