The authorities have opened talks with Vietnam on an adoption agreement in an effort to fulfil new requirements due to take effect next month.
The move follows a decision by Vietnam to confine international adoptions from January 2nd to only those countries which have bilateral agreements in place.
This tightening up of the adoption process in the country follows reports of unscrupulous practices, ranging from petty corruption to child abuse and trafficking.
The Republic does not have such an agreement, and the Minister of State for Children, Mr Brian Lenihan, said yesterday he was anxious to put arrangements on a fresh footing with the Vietnamese authorities as soon as possible.
He said the region's Irish ambassador had this week met Vietnamese officials to open discussions on a bilateral agreement. "We would hope to make progress in the next few months," he added.
Mr Lenihan said the Adoption Board learned last August of the planned changes and wrote to the Vietnamese Minister for Justice who has responsibility for the area.
However, it had not received a response.
He said the issue had become a matter of concern in recent weeks and this had led him to request that the Irish ambassador in the region meet the country's authorities.
Mr Lenihan said the ambassador reported back from his meeting this week that the Vietnamese authorities were willing to enter into negotiations.
Mr Lenihan yesterday met representatives of Irish-Vietnamese adoption groups to bring them up to date them on the situation.
He said the Adoption Board had offered to fast-track any straightforward adoption applications currently in hand for Vietnam.