Jillian van Turnhout (Independent) | Oireachtas source

In July, the fourth periodic review of Ireland's compliance under the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights took place in Geneva. On 24 July, the UN Human Rights Committee published its report of concluding observations on Ireland's record in fulfilling its treaty obligations. Several of the committee's recommendations relate to issues in respect of which colleagues and I have spoken about in this House and advocated for change, such as asylum and direct provision, trafficking, institutional abuse of women and children, symphisiotomy and a ban on corporal punishment of children in all settings by removing the common law defence of reasonable and moderate chastisement. Will the Leader facilitate a full debate on the committee's concluding observations? We are well placed to offer guidance on how best the State can follow up and comply with the UN committee's recommendations.

I take the opportunity to mark the wonderful news that the planned child beauty pageant to be staged in Belfast by Universal Royalty this Saturday will not go ahead. While the reason for the cancellation is unclear, I suspect that Northern Ireland did not afford Universal Royalty's boss, Ms Annette Hill, the warm welcome she had anticipated. The all-island consensus on opposition to child beauty pageants is a victory for common sense and people power. I warmly thank everybody on both sides of the Border, including Members of this House, who have been so vocal in their opposition. I thank, too, the hotels and venues that stood fast in tough economic times against the hosting of such pageants on their premises.

On foot of the report by the Inspector of Prisons and Places of Detention, Judge Michael Reilly, An Overview of Mountjoy Prison Campus with particular emphasis on the Separation Unit, which was published last Friday, the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, has confirmed the closure of that unit. This is another victory for penal reform in Ireland and I look forward to further advances under the Minister's tenure.