Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 September 2021
774. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to ratify the second optional protocol of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; the details of the outstanding issues that need to be resolved by the Government to enable ratification [42542/21]
View answerI would like to reiterate my ongoing commitment to the ratification of the Optional Protocol.
My Department made a comprehensive submission to the Attorney General’s Office in 2019 seeking confirmation as to whether Ireland was in a position to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The advice received from the AGO stated that while Ireland is largely compliant with the terms of the Protocol, there are some outstanding issues that need to be resolved before the State can proceed to ratification.
My Department has been liaising closely with the Department of Justice and Equality as the outstanding issues identified by the AGO fall within their remit.
The Department of Justice is giving consideration as to what legislative measures may need to be put in place to ensure that the full range of offences covered by the Protocol can be prosecuted on an organised and transnational basis. The aim is to resolve any outstanding issues so that we can move towards the ratification of this important international treaty at the earliest opportunity.
