Katherine Zappone (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Yes. That is the position, as Dr. Flynn has clearly laid out. She pointed out that the impact of the lack of ratification means we are not in a process of being monitored or supported by an international body that would examine how we are meeting our obligations under the treaty. That is a key impact of the lack of ratification. Dr. Flynn's response to those various issues demonstrates the importance of ultimately being much clearer and perhaps even having a policy or an overall roadmap of how we would go about ratifying conventions. It seems the process could take for ever, depending on the judgment calls along the way.

It also strikes me, and Dr. Flynn will be aware of this, that, more generally, the rationale for the setting up of the sub-committee was to find a way to begin to have Oireachtas involvement and oversight of human rights issues, and this is a key one for us, but we are doing it within the context of the mandate of the Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. It further strikes me that in this regard the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is the Department that has overall responsibility for ratification but it may be useful, as we examine how to proceed and move forward on this, that if the issue concerns a treaty related to the mandate of a particular committee that it could be involved with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in that process of ratification and the roadmap.

Senator Bacik already asked about comparative jurisdictions. It would help us to examine that in more detail in terms of how other jurisdictions that are aligned to our process have gone through ratification of treaties, even, for example, the treaty on people with disabilities. Does Dr. Flynn have any suggestions, which she can indicate now or later, as to who we might contact to help us with that? Could she also suggest how the committee might proceed with the issue we are discussing?