Vol. 570 No. 2
503 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if and when his Department proposes to publish the report of the visit of a delegation of the Council of Europe's committee for the prevention of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment from 20 to 28 May 2002; if he has an objection to the publication of this report; and when it will become available to Members of the Houses of the Oireachtas. [18750/03]
As I have already indicated to the House, the Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment which operates under the aegis of the Council of Europe, was established under the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment in 1987. The committee is composed of lawyers, medical doctors, prison experts, parliamentarians, etc. from the member states and carries out its task by periodic and ad hoc visits. During these visits, the committee has the right of unimpeded access at any time of the day or night to any place where persons are detained, whether it be a prison, a Garda station or a mental hospital, and are entitled to speak in private to any detained person.
The CPT visited Ireland for inspection purposes in May of last year and the report to the Irish Government on this visit has been received in my Department. In line with the provisions of the convention, the Government must respond to the CPT on the findings contained in the report. I will be bringing the report and the proposed responses to its findings to Government very shortly.
In line with the policy of previous Governments, I expect to publish the report along with the responses to the findings once these have been approved by Government and conveyed to the CPT.
504 Mr. M. Higgins asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason the Government did not use a grant, offered three years ago, from the European Commission which would have funded a human rights monitoring presence at Dublin Airport. [18751/03]
I am informed that the funding in question was sought from the European Commission in 1999 by the Irish Refugee Council in conjunction with a number of other organisations. Its purpose was to fund a project titled Irish Refugee Arrivals Project, the aim of which was, inter alia,"to enhance existing services at Dublin airport for persons entering the State to seek asylum".
I understand that my Department was not consulted about the proposed project prior to its submission to the Commission for funding purposes although departmental officials held discussions on the project with both the funding applicants and a representative of the Commission after it was submitted.
I am informed that the Department was not in a position to support the project as constituted for a number of reasons which were communicated to the Irish Refugee Council by letter on 22 June 2000.
I understand that the Commission subsequently indicated its intention to cancel its support for the project in July 2000.
