COUPLES WHO WERE left in limbo after an adoption agency shut down in 2015 are to get payments from the Department of Children. 

More than 70 prospective parents who wanted to adopt a child from abroad were left some €190,000 out of pocket after the accredited adoption agency closed its doors due to funding issues. 

Yesterday, government approved the establishment and administration of an ex-gratia scheme for former clients of Arc Adoption who are still owed a refundable fee of €2,750.

Intercountry adoptions 

Arc Adoption was licenced to facilitate intercountry adoptions from 2011-2014.

The agency sought to help people in Ireland seeking to adopt a child in China, Bulgaria and the US. 

The sudden closure of the agency left many families involved in adoptions in a great deal of uncertainty at the time.

At the time, the Adoption Authority and the Department of Children had to step in to assist some prospective parents, many of which were at an advanced stage in the adoption process.

It is understood the fees paid to the agency ranged from between €16,650 and €240,000, depending on the countries involved.

The total cost is €192,500 and will come from within the resources of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.