Although this is a comparatively straightforward Bill and one on which there is a high degree of consensus, it is nevertheless very important. The enactment of the Bill is necessary to enshrine the necessary provisions in Irish law to enable Ireland to ratify and implement its obligations under the protocol to the existing 1973 nuclear safeguards agreement between the 13 non-nuclear weapons states of the European Atomic Energy Community, the International Atomic Energy Agency and the European Atomic Energy Community itself. The safeguards agreement is a key element of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons treaty, which is the cornerstone of international nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament. The safeguards agreement provides the mechanism by which the IAEA, and through it the international community, can be satisfied that states are fulfilling their obligations under the non-proliferation treaty.