Less Irish couples adopting foreign children due to complex system

The number of Irish couples adopting foreign children has plummeted since 2010 because the system has become too complex.

At that stage, Ireland signed up to the Hague Convention, which has seen a sharp drop in the number of foreign children coming here.

According to figures released by James Reilly’s Department of Children, the number of foreign children adopted here five years ago was 200; last year just 34 were processed.