Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 131: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason the European Stability Mechanism Treaty was signed by embassy officials on 2 February 2012 rather than the Minister for Finance; the standard practice for the signing of such international treaties; if he will list any previous occasions on which an international treaty was signed by an embassy official rather than a Government Minister; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8246/12]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The European Stability Mechanism Treaty was signed on behalf of each signatory state by its Permanent Representative to the European Union on 2 February 2012. The Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties provides that international agreements between states must be signed on their behalf by a Head of State, a Head of Government, a Foreign Minister or someone authorised by any of the foregoing. International law makes no distinction as to whether any such person is a politician or an official and it is normal diplomatic practice for Ambassadors to sign international agreements on behalf of their governments. Ireland's Permanent Representative to the European Union has been authorised by me to sign on behalf of Ireland any international agreement the signature of which has been authorised by the Government. The Government authorised signature of the ESM Treaty at its meeting on 30 January 2012. A list of international agreements signed on behalf of Ireland in the last six months, with the name and function of the signatory, is set out below:

1 Treaty Establishing the European Stability Mechanism between the Kingdom of Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Estonia, Ireland, the Hellenic Republic, the Kingdom of Spain, the French Republic, the Italian Republic, the Republic of Cyprus, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Malta, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Republic of Austria, the Portuguese Republic, the Republic of Slovenia, the Slovak Republic and the Republic of Finland; signed by Rory Montgomery, Permanent Representative to the European Union, on 2 February 2012

2 Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization to the Convention on Biological Diversity; signed by Anne Anderson, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, on 1 February 2012

3 Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, Australia, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United Mexican States, the Kingdom of Morocco, New Zealand, the Republic of Singapore, the Swiss Confederation and the United States of America; signed by John Neary, Ambassador to Japan, on 26 January 2012

4 Convention between Ireland and the Republic of Panama for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and Capital Gains; signed by Eamon Gilmore, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, on 28 November 2011

5 Convention between Ireland and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Tax Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income; signed by Niall Holohan, Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, on 19 October 2011