Fine Gael TD for Waterford, Paudie Coffey, has welcomed the news that Helping Hands Adoption Mediation Agency (HHAMA) has been awarded a licence to facilitate adoptions from Vietnam for Irish applicants.
"This is great news for Waterford families who have been involved in the adoption process for a number of years now. Since taking office two years ago, the Minister for Children, Frances Fitzgerald, has made reforming the adoption process in this country a major priority of her Ministry. We are seeing real progress in this area which will hopefully lead to a positive conclusion for all involved.
"Helping Hands has been facilitating adoption in this country for many years, allowing couples to start or expand their families through adoption. Over the last number of years, it has been very difficult for parents to adopt in Vietnam when the Fianna Fáíl-led Government allowed the bilateral agreement between the two countries to lapse. The Russian authorities also blacklisted Ireland which prevented many would be adopters from adopting children.
"HHAMA is the first agency to be accredited in facilitating adoptions of Vietnamese children for Irish parents under the new law brought in by Minister Fitzgerald. I would like to thank everyone involved in resolving this matter, allowing prospective Waterford parents to adopt children from Vietnam."