Two Irish adoption groups have clashed over foreign adoptions. Mr Anton MacSuibhne of the Adopted People's Association told a Law Society seminar natural parents in foreign countries were tricked out of their babies who are then put up for adoption for profit.
But a spokesman for the International Adoption Association (formerly the Irish Foreign Adoption Group) last night challenged the APA to make available any evidence it had about children being stolen or sold.
"Adoptive parents are exploited to the point where adopting a child now costs huge amounts of money - even where legal, foreign adoption in the country of origin is supposed to be free of charge," he said.
A spokesman for the International Adoption Association said the APA had been making this allegation for 18 months without producing anything other than an allegation.
He said his association had called for adoptive parents to have assessments carried out by adoption societies regulated by the Adoption Board, because of long waiting lists for health-board assessments. Prospective parents would be willing to pay towards the cost of the assessments.