Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 56: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the status of proposals to ratify the optional protocol to the International Covenant on Social and Economic Rights. [40751/11]

Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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The Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights opened for signature in New York in September 2009. To date thirty nine (39) States have signed. Nine of the twenty seven European Union member states have signed. Five States have ratified the Optional Protocol: Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mongolia and Spain. The Optional Protocol will come into force three months after the deposit with the United Nations Secretary General of the tenth instrument of ratification or accession. As only five States have ratified the Optional Protocol so far it has not yet come into force. My Department has led consultations between Departments on possible signature of the Optional Protocol. A formal proposal asking Departments for their views as to possible signature of the Optional Protocol was circulated earlier this month. Once this consultation process is completed the question of the possible signature of the Optional Protocol will then be examined. Ratification of the Optional Protocol would be a separate step and would be considered in due course.