Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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As regards the optional protocol, I have set out a clear pathway towards when we will do that. I cannot give an explicit date today, but we want to see the first cycle of our membership of the convention go through first. Once the UN committee responds to our State report, there might be a need to do other pieces of work or a requirement for other legislative measures which it identifies in its response to our report. We could do that in the context of the work to be done to implement the optional protocol. However, there is a clear commitment in the programme for Government. We recognise that with all UN bodies there is a bundle of rights contained within the original convention, but there are optional supports and processes that enable the better vindication of those rights. In this case, it is the ability of individuals to petition the convention to highlight a problem in Ireland, potentially, and for the committee to investigate an issue if it considers it necessary. They are essential elements of this process and we are committed to ensuring that they get ratified.