Roger T. Garland
Question:196 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will list all the international conventions, treaties and agreements that Ireland is (a) a signatory to and (b) has ratified and passed into law.
Written Answers. - International Conventions, Treaties and Agreements.
Since 1930, the texts of agreements to which the State has become a party — whether by way of signature, ratification or other procedure — are published by the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Treaty Series which is available in the Dáil Library. This series does not, however, include agreements of a purely technical and administrative character nor does it include multilateral agreements drawn up under the auspices of international organisations such as the UN, the Council of Europe or the European Communities since these agreements are available from these bodies.
The Treaty Series is regularly updated. The most recent issue is No. 9 of 1992. The series also includes an index published at regular intervals, the most recent of which gives a tabular chronological list of international agreements to which the State is a party. It provides details up to the end of 1986; and a new index to bring the series up to date is in preparation.
In addition to these arrangements at national level every international agreement must be registered with the UN under Article 102 of the Charter. The UN publishes a Register of Treaties giving information on such agreements. This register includes the bilateral and multilateral agreements to which Ireland is a party. A print-out from the register up to mid-1985, which runs to 600 pages, is available for inspection at the Department of Foreign Affairs if the Deputy should wish to see it. No separate register is kept by the Department of Foreign Affairs of international agreements which have been signed on behalf of the State but which have not yet been ratified.
The implementation measures to give legal effect within the State to international agreements and conventions to which the State has become a party involve a very great range of legislation, Government orders, ministerial orders and administrative practice. For the most part, these measures do not involve the Department of Foreign Affairs.
I consider that the compilation of a comprehensive list showing every agreement to which Ireland has become party since the foundation of the State, together with a listing of the extent to which they have passed into law through legislative and other measures, would require a disproportionate allocation of time and resources for the necessary research and consultation and this, I think, would not be justified. However, if the Deputy wishes to table a question on any specific agreement I will be glad to furnish the most comprehensive information available to me on the matter.