Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 May 2017
99. Deputy Eamon Ryan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when the Government will submit its fifth, sixth and seventh report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, in view of the fact that it has missed the last reporting deadline by over three years. [22352/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe procedure attached to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination asks State Parties to submit a bi-annual report. There are 178 Parties to the Convention. As a result, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has invited a number of State Parties to submit combined reports covering two and three reporting periods to alleviate the work load of the examining committee and their own work load.
My Department is working on Ireland's 5th, 6th and 7th Reports to CERD. Commencement of work on this task was delayed as priority was given to developing the Migrant Integration Strategy which was published on the 7th of February, 2017.
The Department continues to work on this wide ranging task and will invite the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade to submit Ireland's 5th, 6th and 7th Reports under the International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination to the Secretary General of the United Nations, for consideration by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, later this year.
