An independent audit of the Helping Hands Adoption Mediation Agency has found no evidence of impropriety in its expenditure of fees charged to adoptive parents, the agency said today.
This follows the announcement last October by Minister for Children Barry Andrews of an inquiry into the operation of Helping Hands by the Adoption Board, the regulatory body for adoptions in Ireland, and which mediated adoptions between Ireland and Vietnam.
Its mediation licence was revoked by the Vietnamese government in June, following the lapsing of a bilateral agreement on adoption between the countries. No new adoptions between the countries have been processed since.
The Government decided not to renew the bi-lateral agreement and instead to await the ratification of the Hague Convention on inter-country adoptions, which will take place when the Adoption Bill is passed in the coming weeks.
This followed the publication of a critical report on adoptions in Vietnam by UNICEF's social service (ISS).
Sharon O'Driscoll, chief executive of HHAMA, told a press conference that, in response to the Adoption Board inquiry, the agency commissioned Grant Thornton to examine its disbursement of the $2,100 each applicant family pays for its support services.
HHAMA's annual report was distributed at the press conference, but this did not contain any accounts.
Ms O'Driscoll said these were sent separately to the Adoption Board, the HSE and the Minister.
No representative of Grant Thornton was at the press conference, but a summary of its conclusions was provided by HHAMA.
These stated: "We have found no evidence of impropriety with regard to the day-to-day running costs associated with the provision of HHAMA's professional facilitation services."
Asked why it was necessary to commission an additional financial report when HHAMA's accounts are audited, Ms O'Driscoll said this was to facilitate the Adoption Board and also to satisfy themselves that the agency was working in everyone's best interests.