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 large 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 signing or becoming party to those agreements which it has not already signed.
Given the number and range of international agreements involved, signature or accession will not necessarily be under active consideration in respect of all such agreements at any given time. The situation is kept under review in the context of the ongoing assessment and priorisation of Ireland's international commitments.
In cases where it is proposed that Ireland would sign or become a party to a particular agreement, it may not always be possible to state when that will happen. I would point, for example, to UN agreements such as the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties and the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties between States and International Organisations or between International Organisations. While it is proposed that Ireland would accede to both conventions, the complex provisions of the conventions first require further consideration.
In cases where signature or accession may not necessarily be under active consideration at a given time, this should not, of course, be taken to mean that signature or accession at some stage in the future has been ruled out.
If the Deputy has a query concerning Ireland's position with regard to a particular international agreement which Ireland has not signed, she might point this out to me and I will provide her with the information she requires.
