Andrews asks Russia to lift adoption blacklist in respect of all Irish regions Irish Times
JAMIE SMYTH Social Affairs Correspondent
THE GOVERNMENT has asked Russia to remove Ireland from an adoption blacklist that could prevent hundreds of Irish couples from adopting Russian children.
Minister for Children Barry Andrews met officials at the Russian embassy last week to press the case for several hundred couples who are in the process of trying to adopt a child.
Moscow placed almost all Health Service Executive (HSE) regions on its latest blacklist because it says it did not receive reports on the welfare of all the children adopted in Russia by Irish couples in the past four years. The Russian embassy said earlier this month it was seeking up to 70 post-placement reports from parents who adopted Russian children.
Mr Andrews said yesterday he told Russian officials that more than half of the 65 outstanding post-placement reports, which Moscow is seeking, had already been sent to the Russian embassy.
He said the majority of the remaining reports had been completed by the HSE and were now with the parents of the adopted children.
Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Barry Andrews: described HSE failings as 'unacceptable'. Photograph: Eric Luke Minister for Children and Youth
of his death had been notified to the Independent Review Group into Child Deaths established earlier this year by Minister for Children Barry Andrews.
