Ireland and Vietnam have signed an agreement that will ultimately allow Irish families to adopt Vietnamese children, writes Kitty Holland.
The agreement was signed in Hanoi yesterday and marks a "first step" in the resumption of adoptions, a spokeswoman for the Minister for Children, Mr Brian Lenihan said yesterday.
Hanoi had halted foreign adoptions last year amid concerns about abuses of the process.
Ireland's ambassador, Mr Daniel Mulhall, has been in negotiations with the Vietnamese on the issue since March.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Mr Mulhall said there had been "a surge in interest in adopting in Vietnam" in the past two years. Nearly 100 adoptions by Irish people were recorded last year, up from about 20 in 2001, he said.
Ireland is the third country this year after Denmark and Italy to sign the agreement. At least 10 other countries are negotiating similar pacts to that agreed with Ireland yesterday.
Mr Lenihan's spokeswoman said the Department was awaiting "official confirmation" of the pact, but said further internal procedures had to be completed by both the Irish and Vietnamese authorities before adoptions could recommence.
In 2002, an estimated 1,500 Vietnamese children were adopted by foreigners before the adoption pact requirement came into effect at the start of 2003.
Vietnam, along with other Asian countries, is concerned that children may not always have been willingly surrendered by their mothers.