Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 15 Jun 2000

Vol. 521 No. 3

Written Answers. - Ratification of Rome Statute.

Michael Bell

Question:

25 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the reason for the delay in the publication of the 21st Amendment of the Constitution (No. 6) Bill to provide for a referendum to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16826/00]

Minister for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Cowen)

The Statute of the International Criminal Court was concluded at Rome on 17 July 1998 and was signed, subject to ratification, by Ireland on 7 October 1998. It will enter into force two months after 60 states have become party to it. My information is that to date 96 states have signed the statute and, of these, ten have now ratified the statute.

An amendment to the Constitution is required to enable the State to ratify the statute. Work on the drafting of a Bill containing a proposal for such an amendment is now in hand and I hope to be in a position to present the Bill to the Oireachtas shortly, once this work has been completed.

In addition to the need to amend the Constitution, a careful and detailed examination of the statute by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, together with my own Department, the Office of the Attorney General and other appropriate bodies, is necessary in order to determine the precise nature and scope of the legislative and administrative measures which may need to be introduced in order for Ireland to be in a position to meet its obligations under the statute.

Ireland may proceed to ratify the statute only when all the necessary legal and administrative measures have been put in place. I am not in a position at this point to state definitively how long this process might take but I assure the Deputy that the timely ratification and entry into force of the statute will continue to be given a high priority by my Department.