David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 777: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the action he must take for ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to proceed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2472/09]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 13 December 2006. The Convention opened for signature on 30 March 2007. Ireland signed the Convention, subject to ratification, on that date. The Convention entered into force on 3 May 2008, having been ratified by twenty countries. My colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr Dermot Ahern T.D., has lead responsibility for issues relating to the implementation of the Convention and his Department chairs an Interdepartmental Implementation Committee established in 2007. It is my understanding that it is the intention to complete all implementing measures as quickly as possible.

The Department of Foreign Affairs already takes account of the requirements under Article 32 (International Relations) of the Convention in the implementation of Ireland's overseas development aid policy. Irish Aid policies and programmes fully recognise the inter-relationship between poverty and disability and are inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities. In due course, when all the required implementation arrangements are in place, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform will request me to seek Government authority to ratify the Convention.