Vol. 483 No. 1
113 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the international agreements under the aegis of his Department which have not currently been signed by the State and which 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. [19879/97]
As the Deputy will be aware, one of the primary responsibilities of the Department of Foreign Affairs is the pursuance of Ireland's foreign policy objectives in the international arena. In that context, a great number of international agreements covering a wide range of subjects fall under the auspices of the Department and it must consider on an ongoing basis the desirability of Ireland becoming party to those agreements to which it is not already party. Given the range of international agreements involved, it would not be practicable to furnish the information sought by the Deputy in relation to every such agreement.
However, if the Deputy has a particular interest in one or more agreements, she might point these out to me and I will provide her with the information she seeks in relation to those agreements.
