511. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality is there any update on the ratifying of the second optional protocol of the UNCRC. [67217/26]

The Government is committed to ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and work is ongoing to ratify the Protocol as soon as possible.

In Irish treaty practice, the State must be in a position to meet all of the obligations it assumes under the terms of an international agreement from the moment it enters into force. Often it will not be possible for the State to meet these obligations without first taking steps required by domestic law, or otherwise, enabling it to do so. As work towards ratification of the protocol continues, the State is obliged to ensure that all legislative provisions are in place for it to meet these obligations.

The Department has received confirmation from the Attorney General’s Office that the suite of measures taken to ensure that Ireland is in a position to meet its obligations under the Protocol are sufficient to overcome barriers to ratification which had been previously identified.

The Department is now working with the Departments of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration and of Foreign Affairs and Trade to prepare the necessary measures required on ratification. Once this work is complete, Government approval will be sought to ratify the Protocol. Ratification remains a priority for me and this Government, and officials are working across a number of Government departments to achieve this as soon as is possible.