A GROUP which offers support to Irish couples seeking to adopt children from China has accused the Government of persistently blocking its work.
International Orphan Aid (IOA) wants the Government to authorise it to make adoption applications to China on behalf of Irish couples. This would involve transmitting adoption papers to the Chinese authorities once a couple has been assessed as suitable by the Adoption Board. Currently, couples who want to adopt children from China must have their papers sent through the board.
More than 200 couples are awaiting the Government's reply to the IOA's request, according to the organisation's managing director, Mrs Sally Keaveney.
The Minister of State for Health, Mr Austin Currie, says the IOA should consider applying for registration as an adoption society. This would enable it to meet the requirements of the Chinese authorities.
The IOA claims the Adoption Board has an "antagonistic attitude" to people seeking foreign adoptions. The board lost a Supreme Court appeal last summer against its refusal to recognise adoptions under Chinese law.
Ms Keaveney says the IOA has a petition of signatures by 155 couples seeking Chinese adoptions who say they want to deal with it instead of the Adoption Board.
She said the IOA asked the Department several times over the past seven months to recognise it as a non governmental organisation with authority to transmit to China adoption papers for couples. Mr Currie says he outlined to the IOA in a meeting last January the policy reasons why only the Adoption Board has the authority to transmit papers.