Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
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154. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if the Government remains committed to ratifying the optional protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; when the Attorney General will conclude his determination as to whether a small number of additional legislative measures may be required to ensure that the State is compliant with all of the extra-territorial jurisdiction requirements under Article 3.1 of the protocol; and if she is concerned for Ireland’s international human rights record as a result of the State’s protracted delay in ratifying this optional protocol. [50583/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Government is firmly committed to ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, several legislative measures have been implemented which were necessary to ensure that Ireland is in compliance with the obligations of the Optional Protocol. Enactment of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 and the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Act 2017 were significant steps on the pathway to the ratification of the Optional Protocol.

Further smaller legislative amendments relating to the extra-territorial jurisdiction requirements under Article 3.1 will ensure that the State is in compliance with certain outstanding aspects of the Protocol. These amendments have been included in the General Scheme of the Criminal Justice (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2022 which was approved for publication by the Government on 27 July 2022. Drafting of the Bill is currently underway and I have committed to publish it by the end of this year. Once enacted, Ireland should be in a position to ratify the Second Optional Protocol.