Adoptions between Vietnam and Ireland are likely to resume over the coming months after the two governments reached agreement on key issues aimed at ensuring the rights of children are protected.
Minister for Children Frances Fitzgerald, who recently returned from talks with officials in Hanoi, said she had made significant progress over key issues.
While talks are ongoing over administrative issues, well-placed sources believe adoptions will resume in early 2012.
In a statement, Ms Fitzgerald said: "I am confident that the work underway in Vietnam and the very close cooperation between our two countries, which has been greatly strengthened with this visit, will ensure the intercountry adoption of Vietnamese children will involve Irish families, where it is in the best interests of those children to be adopted abroad."
However, those seeking to adopt may still face significant delays under a revised agreement because new safeguards in Vietnam mean there will be fewer children available to adopt.
About 270 Irish couples were in the process of adopting children from Vietnam until a bi-lateral adoption agreement lapsed in May 2009.
This followed a series of scandals relating to fraudulent adoptions and concerns for the welfare of children.
Ms Fitzgerald said Vietnamese authorities are moving to improve their systems for adoptopn, leading to the government formal implemnation of the Hague Convention which sets out international standards for adoption.