Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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354. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will report on preparations to ratify the Optional Protocol to the UNCRPD in light of the Taoiseach’s comments (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27262/24]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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Ratification of the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) is a commitment in the Programme for Government, and I remain committed to ratification at the earliest possible date.Ireland ratified the UNCRPD on 20 March 2018 and continues to implement the Convention on the basis of the continuous advancement of rights. Ireland has also engaged fully in the monitoring and accountability processes set out in the Convention, having submitted its first state report to the Committee in November of 2021. We now await a review date before the Committee in Geneva. Ireland has also placed IHREC's role as the national independent monitoring body for the UNCRPD on a statutory basis.In relation to ratifying the Optional protocol, there is a long-standing position of the state in relation to honouring international agreements. As a matter of foreign policy, Ireland does not enter into binding international treaties until we are confident that the obligations set out can be complied with. As such, a scoping exercise on ratification is well advanced to ensure that the implications arising in respect of meeting the obligations under the Optional Protocol are identified and can be addressed with a view to enabling ratification. I have established an Inter-Departmental Group, chaired by my Department, with representatives from all government departments and the Office of the Attorney General, to work urgently to ensure that a comprehensive, whole-of-Government approach is taken to ensuring that the necessary enabling work to provide for the ratification of the Optional Protocol is completed, so that ratification can proceed as quickly as possible.Minister O'Gorman intends to provide an update to Cabinet on the progress of the IDG and its work on ratification of the Optional Protocol in the coming weeks.