Vol. 455 No. 2
160 Mr. D. Ahern asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the international treaties and conventions he intends to sign; the number that have been signed; the number that have been signed but not ratified; the number signed which have been ratified but have not been put into force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12009/95]
ILO, International Labour Organisation, conventions are ratified through the single act of signing them. Of the 176 ILO conventions currently extant, Ireland has signed 74, 12 of which have since been denounced for technical reasons. I intend to ratify a further such convention — C.160, labour statistics. The remaining conventions are kept under review with a view to ratifying them as and when it is possible and judicious to do so.
In the area of trade marks, I intend to sign the Trade Mark Law Treaty at the earliest opportune time.
In the intellectual property area, 11 conventions and treaties have been signed, ten of which have been ratified. In addition, Ireland has signed and ratified both the European Space Agency Convention and the Council of Europe Charter of Social Rights.
The Madrid Protocol on Trade Marks of 1989 is the only treaty signed but not ratified.
Two ILO conventions — Nos. 139 and 155 dealing with occupational health and safety — have been ratified this year and will come into force for Ireland 12 months from the date of ratification.
