Senators Jim Walsh and Tuffy referred to the delay in bringing the legislation forward, which is a reasonable point, though generally speaking Ireland has a good record in participating in such international measures. While I accept the convention was open for signature as far back as January 1995, we must not lose sight of the fact that the convention came into effect in May 2000 and the Bill was published in April 2000. The Government is anxious to ensure that Ireland can accede to the convention at the earliest possible opportunity. To date, only two other EU member states, Austria and Germany, have ratified the agreement.