Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 19 Nov 1997

Vol. 483 No. 1

Written Answers. - International Agreements.

Frances Fitzgerald

Question:

116 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Public Enterprise the international agreements under the aegis of her 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. [19875/97]

Minister for Public Enterprise (Mrs. O'Rourke)

Details of international agreements which have not been signed by Ireland are in the following schedule. The question of Ireland's signature to these agreements is reviewed on an ongoing basis.

SCHEDULE

Department of Public Enterprise

International Agreements which have not been signed by Ireland

International Agreement	Responsible Organisation	Done at	Date Adopted
European Agreement on the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (¹)	United Nations Economic Commission for Europe	Geneva	30 September 1957
Paris Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy (²)	OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA)	Paris	29 July 1960
Brussels Supplementary Convention (²)	OECD NEA	Brussels	21 May 1963
Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage(²)	International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)	Vienna	21 May 1963
Joint Protocol relating to the application of the Vienna Convention and the Paris Convention(²)	NEA and IAEA	Vienna	21 September 1988
1994 Congress of the Universal Postal Union (certain Acts thereof) (³)	Universal Postal Union	Seoul	14 September 1994
Protocol to Amend the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage(4)	IAEA	Vienna	12 September 1997
Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage(4)	IAEA	Vienna	12 September 1997

(¹) This agreement entered into force on 29 January, 1968. The Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road Bill, when enacted, will allow Ireland to accede to the agreement. It is hoped that this will be effected early in 1998.

(²) To date these agreements have not been considered appropriate for signature, having regard to some aspects of the content. However, this matter falls to be reconsidered, following consultation with the Attorney General, in the light of the recent agreements listed at 7 and 8 above.

(³) Ratification of this agreement is expected to take place within the next month.

(4) The question of signture of these Conventions is under review in consultation with the Attorney General.

Note: The European Energy Charter Treaty has been signed by Ireland and is now in the process of being ratified.