Vol. 460 No. 3
545 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the proposed international agreements under the auspices of his Department being drafted or prepared; and the international organisation, if any, responsible for the proposed agreement in each case. [19430/96]
546 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the international agreements under the auspices of his Department which, as of 1 January 1996, have been signed by the State but not ratified; the international organisation, if any, responsible for the agreement in each case; the date and place each agreement was adopted or opened for signature; the date it was signed by the State; whether it is proposed to ratify each agreement; and, if so, when. [19449/96]
547 Ms F. Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Forestry the international agreements under the auspices of his Department which, as of 1 January 1996, have not been signed by the State and which it is proposed that the State should sign or become a party to; the international organisation, if any, responsible for the agreement in each case; the date and place each agreement was adopted or opened for signature; and when it is proposed to sign each agreement or become a party to it. [19464/96]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 545 to 547, inclusive together.
The International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants of 2 December 1961, as revised at Geneva on 10 November 1972 and 23 October 1978, was ratified by the Government in May 1981. The convention was again revised at Geneva in March 1991. That revised version was signed on behalf of Ireland, subject to ratification, on 27 February 1992.
The international organisation responsible for the agreement is the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants. It is proposed to ratify the revised version when the necessary domestic legislation has been amended later this year.
