IRISH couples are paying up to €17,000 to international agencies to locate children for adoption in Russia. The country is now the most popular for Irish people seeking to adopt abroad, even though there is no adoption treaty between Ireland and Russia.

The payment of such large fees has been criticised by the chairman of the International Adoption Agency, who says the Irish government should take measures to stop it.

“I find the issue of money in relation to this process distasteful,” said Kevin O’Byrne. “Intercountry adoption should be done through state-to-state agreement. We’re talking about children. The state has a responsibility to them and I don’t think the Department of Foreign Affairs has been active enough in establishing an agreement.”

Of the 398 intercountry adoptions last year, 189 were from Russia. This was three times more than the figure in 2000. A sound legal system, Caucasian children and a relatively speedy adoption process are being cited as reasons for Russia’s popularity.

“Russian people are very similar to the Irish in manner and culture,” said Derek Farrell of Irish Families for Russian Adoptions. “They like to sing, they like to drink. Sadly there are a lot of children for adoption but I would be positive about Russia because of its child protection laws.”

The ending of intercountry adoption from Romania and Belarus has also encouraged Irish people to turn to Russia. Romania has stopped adoptions due to pressures from the EU.

Ireland has bilateral agreements with China, Vietnam, Thailand and the Philippines. For couples adopting from Vietnam it can cost up to $8,000 (€6,600). From China, Thailand or the Philippines, the cost can be $1,500 (€1,250). The Adoption Board has sought a meeting with its Russian counterpart to discuss putting arrangements in place.

The lack of a treaty with Russia is not holding Irish couples back, however. Once they are declared fit by Irish authorities, many adopt independently in Russia. The absence of an agreement means some rely on expensive agencies, however.

“The downside is the presence of third-country adoption agencies,” agreed Farrell. “They charge huge amounts — to my knowledge one charges €16,800 as an international adoption fee. We’re a voluntary group accredited by the Adoption Board who assist people to adopt independently without charge.”

Annette and John Kenny from Cork adopted from Russia through Farrell’s group. Their sons, Simon, 6, and Luke, 5, were adopted from the same orphanage at the age of three.

“A friend of ours already had children from Russia and we saw how well they were progressing,” said Annette Kenny. “That confirmed Russia for us.

“We didn’t want to go through an agency and we got in touch with Derek and his wife Olga, who is Russian. It was more personal, not like a business.”

The existence of bilateral agreements with other countries does influence some couples, however. “One of the factors was the bilateral agreement,” said Shane Downer from Rathfarnham in Dublin who has applied to adopt from Vietnam.

“There is a facilitator there at the moment and the process is relatively clear and straightforward. When we applied, the referral times were three to six months, although that has now extended to six to 12 months.”

There has been an increase in adoptions from countries with a bilateral agreement — China went from 16 in 2000 to 60 in 2004. Vietnam peaked in 2003 at 39, dipping the following year after the Vietnamese suspended adoptions.

“Vietnam opened up and was discovered in 2000, and then it basically closed,” said Kiernan Gildea, the Adoption Board registrar. “It decided to review its procedures. We went out in 2003 to negotiate a new treaty which is in operation now.”

Time is also a factor in determining where people go to adopt a child. The assessment process in Ireland for eligibility can take between 18 months and three years, with more than 1,800 couples waiting to be assessed.

“What determines where people go is how soon they can effect the adoption,” said O’Byrne. “They will have been waiting on a health board assessment for up to three years, and once they have their documentation they will want to go to the place that can effect an adoption as expeditiously as possible.”

Some parents feel that a Caucasian or European child will feel more at home in Ireland. Farrell said this was one reason why Russia was increasingly popular. “The children are also well looked after in Russia, they’re good healthy children,” he said. “The process tends to be more transparent. You’re allowed into orphanages, which isn’t the case everywhere.”

Ann McElhinney, a journalist who has made a number of television documentaries about international adoption, said that although prospective parents are thoroughly checked out in Ireland, the weak link is the process used in the countries they adopt from.

“These adoptions cost large sums of money — which are absolute fortunes in impoverished countries such as Vietnam or some regions of Russia,” she said. “Besides being impoverished, these countries also are similar in that they are all internationally acknowledged as being among the most corrupt on the planet.

“Despite the rigorous checks and good intentions of Irish adoptive parents they can not be sure that the child is really available for adoption.”