Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

588. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 489 of 28 November 2023, for an update on the findings of the scoping exercise to ascertain the requirements for ratifying the Optional Protocol at the earliest opportunity. [36212/24]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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 delivering on this at the earliest possible date.

As I have set out previously, 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 broad scoping exercise examining the issues that may arise from ratification is nearing completion. This will 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.

In March this year an Inter-Departmental Group (IDG) was formed with representatives from all government departments and the Office of the Attorney General, so that a comprehensive, whole-of-Government approach is taken to ensuring that the necessary preparatory work to provide for the ratification of the Optional Protocol is completed, and so that ratification can proceed as quickly as possible

In July cabinet was updated on the progress of the IDG, setting out enabling work across government to facilitate ratification. Work is ongoing to provide a pathway to ratification at the earliest possible date, and I look forward to delivering on this priority.