179 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs the steps, if any, taken to sign and ratify the Statute of the International Criminal Court. [1186/00]

The Statute of the International Criminal Court was concluded at Rome on 17 July 1998 and was signed, subject to ratification, by Ireland on 7 October 1998. It will enter into force approximately two months after 60 states have become party to it. My information is that to date 93 states have signed the statute and, of these, six have ratified the statute.