Michael D Higgins (Galway West, Labour)
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Question 164: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the status of interdepartmental consultation on signing and ratifying the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; his position within that consultation; the reason for the delay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7447/10]

Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I refer the Deputy to written PQ 6003/10 , answered on Thursday 4 February.

"The Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (OP-ICESCR) is intended, when it comes into force, to set up a mechanism that will make it possible for individuals or groups of individuals to submit a complaint to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in regard to alleged violations of their economic, social and cultural rights by a State Party to the Optional Protocol. It does not create any new substantive rights.

Following consideration by the UN Human Rights Council, the text of the Optional Protocol was presented to the UN General Assembly, which adopted the text by consensus on 10 December 2008.

Officials of this Department were actively engaged at all stages of negotiation on the Optional Protocol, in consultation with other relevant Government Departments, our EU partners, other UN member States and civil society/NGO representatives. Inter-Departmental consultations on consideration of Ireland's signature and ratification of the Optional Protocol are continuing, with this Department playing a co-ordination role.

The Optional Protocol opened for signature in New York last September. I had arranged for Ireland to be represented at the opening ceremony even though we were not in a position to sign. So far thirty one (31) States have signed. Only nine of the twenty seven EU member States have signed at this point. No State has yet ratified the Optional Protocol. The Optional Protocol can only come into force three months after the deposit with the UN Secretary-General of the tenth instrument of ratification or accession.

As I have indicated previously, I can assure the Deputy that I will make every effort to ensure that the consideration of Ireland's signature and ratification by relevant Government Departments is completed as quickly as possible."