UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 March 2018

Tuesday, 20 March 2018

Questions (344)

Thomas Pringle

Question:

344. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when Ireland will opt into the optional protocol in relation to the UNCRPD; the reason it was not declared at the time of Ireland's official ratification of the convention in view of the fact that in the roadmap to ratification it states Ireland's intention to sign and ratify the optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the same time as the convention itself is being ratified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12390/18]

Written answers

Minister of State at the Department of Justice and Equality

While there was a commitment given, in the 2015 Roadmap, to ratify the Optional Protocol at the same time as the Convention, the current focus has been on ratifying the Convention itself as a first step. The Convention and the Optional Protocol cover a broad range of commitments some of which require substantive cultural change. For this reason, a phased approach is seen as the most practical and realistic way of moving ahead. Accordingly the Optional Protocol is not being ratified at this time.

The matter of opting into the Optional Protocol will be reviewed and further considered following completion of the first reporting cycle under the Convention. Due to the variability and uncertainty of the reporting cycle it is not possible to give an exact date at this juncture.