Ivana Bacik (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I had the pleasure of knowing Paul, as I am sure other Senators did. I knew him as a colleague and friend, and as such a respected voice on criminal justice issues. His untimely death at such a young age has come as a shock to all of us, and I express my sympathies to his family, friends and colleagues. I support calls for a debate on criminal justice, in light of Dr. Johnny Connolly's report. It would be a good idea to have a debate on criminal justice and our approach to drugs policy. I ask that we will have it in the new year, when it will be a fitting debate to have. In the debate, many of us will probably reference some of Paul Anthony McDermott's work, which will be entirely appropriate. He made such a contribution over the years to criminal justice scholarship, not just to practice and litigation.

Our former colleague in the House, Jillian van Turnhout, has asked me to raise with the Leader a point about the Lanzarote Convention, or the International Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse. Ireland, unfortunately, is on track to become the last of the 47 Council of Europe member states to ratify this important convention. Three states, including Ireland, have not yet ratified it. Azerbaijan is in the process of depositing its instrument of ratification before Christmas, Armenia is preparing to ratify it in the first quarter of 2020, but I am told there has yet been no sign of Ireland ratifying it. Will the Leader make urgent inquiries of the Government as to why we have not yet ratified it? I will do the same but it should also come from the Leader of the Seanad. It is so important that we be seen to lead on the issue and not lag behind. That we will be the last of the 47 Council of Europe member states to ratify the convention is shameful.