The Irish Adoption Board has said it is investigating the case of a child who was allegedly illegally adopted by an Irish family and two years later left in an Indonesian orphanage.
Tristan Dowse (3) was adopted by Joe and Lala Dowse when he was two months old, but two years later was left at an orphanage outside Jakarta.
Mr Dowse and his wife then left Jakarta.
However, Tristan faces an uncertain future as an Irish minor in Indonesia without a visa.
Staff at the Imanuel orphanage where Tristan was left say the boy, although intelligent, has been quiet and withdrawn since his father left him at the institution, with some clothes and a box of toys.
He has since refused to play with any of the toys left by his family.
When he arrived at the orphanage he spoke and understood only English.
Mr Dowse, who is now living in Azerbaijan, has denied the adoption was improper.
He said they left Tristan at the orphanage because the adoption "was not working out".
He said they believed it was in the child's best interests to be given up.
"Over time we came to a painful realisation that adoption wasn't working out, an extremely difficult and painful realisation ... to make, and it wasn't something that we felt was in Tristan's best interests to remain with us."
His wife became pregnant at the same time they decided to place Tristan in the orphanage and leave Indonesia.
Tristan's situation has been complicated because his adoption, which the Indonesians now say was illegal, was accepted by the Irish Adoption Board. Tristan was granted Irish citizenship and a passport.
According to Dr Makmur Sunsusi of the Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs, Tristan is an Irish citizen living illegally in Indonesia.
"The way it is now, we can do nothing," Dr Sunsusi said. "Tristan is stateless. You know, here in the ministry we call him 'The Irish boy'. He should really be deported because he is here without a visa." He said the adoption was illegal.
Tristan has been visited by officials from the Irish embassy in Singapore who say they are trying to sort out the bureaucratic mess that has enveloped the toddler. Hugh Swift, the Irish ambassador in Singapore, said the Government is very concerned about the case.
"The Irish Government has been busy with his case since we became aware of it about a year ago. The welfare of the child is our principal consideration."
In a statement last night, the Department of Foreign Affairs said that the Irish ambassador to Indonesia was working closely with the local minister for the interior to find out whether the adoption was legal and to work out the best way to proceed.
"We are talking to all parties involved, including the family through their solicitor, in an effort to come to a resolution of this problem in the best interests of Tristan," said a department spokeswoman.