Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 October 2021
701. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice the legislative measures required to ensure that all offences under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography can be prosecuted on an organised and transnational basis in line with Article 3.1 of the protocol. [50918/21]
Amharc ar fhreagraI would like to assure the Deputy that the Government continues to be strongly committed to the ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
A number of significant pieces of legislation had to be passed to ensure that Ireland is in compliance with the obligations of the Optional Protocol. The enactment of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 and the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Act 2017 constituted key steps on the pathway to the ratification of the Optional Protocol.
My Department is engaging with the Office of the Attorney General to determine whether a small number of additional legislative measures may be required to ensure that the State is compliant with all of the extra-territorial jurisdiction requirements under Article 3.1 of the Protocol. My officials are considering advices recently received and, if further legislative amendments are considered necessary, I will bring those forward at the earliest opportunity.
