Intercountry agreement on adoptions from the Philippines
Intercountry agreement on adoptions from the Philippines
00
Thursday 18 August 2016 19.52
Ireland ratified the Hague Convention in 2010, which regulates intercountry adoption on a global basis
Ireland ratified the Hague Convention in 2010, which regulates intercountry adoption on a global basis
An agreement that allows Irish people to adopt children from the Philippines has come into effect.
Chairman of the Adoption Authority of Ireland Dr Geoffrey Shannon said these new administrative arrangements achieve clarity in the steps that need to be taken to effect an adoption that best meets the need of the child seeking to be adopted.
Ireland ratified the Hague Convention in 2010, which regulates intercountry adoption on a global basis.
Agreement allows Irish people to adopt children from the Philippines
RELATED AUDIO & VIDEO
Watch: Agreement allows Irish people to adopt children from the Philippines
Watch: Agreement allows Irish people to adopt children from the Philippines
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Dr Shannon said adoption is a service for children and we must not lose sight of the fact that adoption must be child-centred.
He said Ireland has a dark history when it comes to intercountry adoption and the situation today is in stark contrast to the situation in the '40s and '50s when Irish children were sent to the US for adoption.
In a statement, the Adoption Authority said it has been working closely with the Central Authority in the Philippines to bring greater clarity to the situation regarding the adoption of children from there.
There have been ten children adopted from the Philippines since the establishment of the Adoption Authority in 2010.
This is the third administrative arrangement the Adoption Authority has concluded.
In 2012, an administrative arrangement between Ireland and Vietnam was concluded and in 2013 an arrangement between Ireland and the USA was signed.
With effect from 1 November 2010, intercountry adoptions can be effected with other countries that have ratified the Hague Convention or with which Ireland has a bilateral agreement.
Ireland currently adopts children from Bulgaria, China, Thailand, USA, India, Philippines, Poland, Vietnam and Lithuania.
In 2015, there were 82 intercountry adoptions to Ireland.
.