201 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the guidelines which were set down by the United Nations for the preparation of the measures adopted to give effect to the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as required under Article 40 of the Covenant.

The guidelines referred to by the Deputy are set out in several documents issued by the United Nations Human Rights Committee. The committee, comprising 18 experts in the field of human rights, was established under Article 28 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which entered into force for Ireland in March 1990.

An important function of the committee is to interpret the Covenants so as to guide States parties in the application of the Covenant and in the preparation of their national reports. This is done by means of guidelines which are reviewed and updated periodically by the committee.

Documents containing the guidelines to date issued by the Human Rights Committee are being provided to the Dáil Library for the information of Deputies.

Ireland's First Report under Article 40 of the Covenant was published in September 1992 and copies have been distributed to Members of the Oireachtas.