Adoption red tape - No excuses for delays

Irish babies are no longer available for adoption. Any couple wishing to adopt a baby abroad has to go through enormous red tape, which can take up to five years in some countries.

Four hundred children were approved for adoption from abroad in 2006. There has been a huge increase in the number of foreign adoptions in recent years.

Those wishing to adopt must first apply to the local Health Service Executive, which will then send a social worker to begin the assessment process of the applicants. It currently takes two years to see a social worker.