Vol. 530 No. 3
76 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the number of international treaties and conventions signed by the Government which have not yet been ratified; the details of each one; and the reasons for delay in ratification. [3589/01]
One of the principal responsibilities of the Department of Foreign Affairs is the pursuance of Ireland's foreign policy objectives in the international arena. In that context a great number of international agreements covering a wide range of matters falls under the auspices of the Department and it must consider, on an ongoing basis, the desirability of the State becoming a party to those agreements which it has not already ratified. It is also the case, however, that the subject matter of an international agreement may relate to the work of at least one other Department and the views of the latter must be considered fully before determining whether Ireland should ratify that agreement. In many cases it will be necessary to introduce domestic legislation or put in place new administrative arrangements to allow the State to meet its obligations under an international agreement. In some cases, an amendment to the Constitution may be required before we are in a position to meet these obligations.
Given this large number and range of international agreements, the Deputy will understand that it would not be practical to furnish a full list of the details sought. However, if the Deputy has questions in relation to a particular agreement, or particular agreements, I will be happy to provide him with more detailed information.
