Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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59. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to progress the signing of the Optional Protocol to the UNCAT; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29659/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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Firstly, as the Deputy will be aware, Ireland ratified the UN Convention against Torture in 2002. This Government and previous Governments are fully committed to this Convention and have fully participated in all that its ratification entails. The Optional Protocol to the Convention  (OPCAT) dates from 2007; it is in addition to the Convention and is designed to be preventive in nature.

I am fully committed to ratification and my Department is preparing The Inspection of Places of Detention Bill, with a view to enabling the ratification of OPCAT as soon as possible. In October 2017, officials in my Department attended and participated in a roundtable discussion at the launch of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission's (IHREC) research into the implementation of OPCAT in Ireland. This research – comprising a comprehensive report prepared by the Human Rights Implementation Centre and accompanying submission by IHREC – outlined the Commission’s position on what should be the primary considerations for the State in making progress towards ratification and implementation of OPCAT and set out recommendations in respect of the designation and coordination of a national preventative mechanism under OPCAT.

IHREC’s research was circulated by my Department to relevant stakeholders for their comments and observations. The stakeholders comprised those organisations with policy or operational responsibility in respect of inspection arrangements across the ambit of the national preventative mechanism regime provided for in OPCAT, which goes beyond the Justice sector. Additionally, stakeholders included advisory and advocacy organisations with expertise in this area.

The last of these submissions was received in April 2018 and my officials are now in the process of considering them. This process will conclude this month, and a meeting has been arranged with the newly appointed Inspector of Prisons to discuss the future role of the Inspector's Office as part of the implementation. This engagement will inform the development of the draft Inspection of Places of Detention Bill to enable ratification of OPCAT. My intention is that the draft Scheme will be finalised in the Autumn so that I can bring it to Government before the end of the year.