39 Miss Flaherty asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will support moves to establish a conference for the institution of an international criminal court by the end of 1998 at the next UN general assembly. [18004/96]

Ireland has been consistently and strongly supportive of efforts to establish a permanent international criminal court. In our view, it is only through such a court that those responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law can be brought to justice. A preparatory committee has already been established under UN General Assembly Resolution 50/46 to begin negotiations on the provisions of an international treaty to establish an international criminal court. Ireland, together with its EU partners, has been actively involved in discussions to date within the preparatory committee. As stated in the memorandum accompanying my Presidency address on behalf of the European Union to the UN General Assembly on 24 September 1996, the EU looks forward to a constructive outcome of discussions on this subject at the 51st General Assembly, in particular as regards a decision on the future work of the preparatory committee and on the convening of a conference of plenipotentiaries for the adoption of a convention establishing a permanent international criminal court.