Deirdre Clune welcomes agreement on inter-country adoption with Vietnam

Fine Gael Senator Deirdre Clune has welcomed the agreement on inter-country adoption with Vietnam which has been officially signed by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Frances Fitzgerald TD with the Vietnamese Minister for Justice, Ha Hung Cuong and Dr Geoffrey Shannon Chair of the Adoption Authority of Ireland.

“Firstly I want to congratulate the minister and her team on this outstanding achievement. It was a priority for her on taking office and the resumption of adoptions with Vietnam is welcome.

“Local families in Cork and others across the country have been eagerly awaiting a conclusion to this matter and will now be heartened that it may be possible to adopt a child from Vietnam.

“Minister Fitzgerald has engaged with the Vietnamese Government at both a political and diplomatic level over the past year in order to reach this successful conclusion, with meetings in Dublin, London and Vietnam.

“The signing will open the way for the resumption of adoptions between Ireland and Vietnam. I am hopeful that the Adoption Authority of Ireland will now be able to use their experience of developing this Administrative Agreement in the development of relationships with other countries who are signatories to the Hague Convention.  

“The aim of the Government is to have safe and secure adoptions from Vietnam and this Administrative Agreement will provide for that.

“I am hopeful that this excellent progress will lead to a positive and growing relationship between both countries in working to safe guard children and adoptive parents.”