Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)

The White Paper on Irish Aid refers to the need for a debate in the parliamentary assemblies of Europe on the issue of development. What arrangements are being made for a debate on the White Paper in this House? The White Paper does not include a commitment to the UN Convention against Corruption being ratified by Ireland. I want to save time in future by putting it to the Minister for Finance now that he should give the House a list of the UN conventions which have been signed by Ireland but not ratified. Is the Minister not concerned that the UN Convention against Corruption will not be ratified in the lifetime of this Government? Is he concerned that the White Paper on Irish Aid, which took such a long time to produce, does not include a commitment to passing the legislation needed to ratify the convention in the lifetime of the Government? Perhaps the House will be given an assurance next week as to whether the iodine tablets are out of date.

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