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Pringle slams Government delays in ratifying UN convention protocol
- Updated: 22nd October 2024
Independent TD for Donegal, Thomas Pringle, has slammed the Government for delays in ratifying the optional protocol to the UN Convention on Torture.
Deputy Pringle said: “Ireland signed OPCAT in 2007, but 17 years later still has not yet ratified it. The UN agreed OPCAT in 2002.
“It is shocking how complacent the State is about our international obligations, and about the protection of citizens.
“OPCAT applies to places of detention and covers a broad range of facilities, including prisons, psychiatric units, juvenile detention centres, immigration detention centres, pre-trial detention facilities and Garda stations. It’s intended to strengthen the protections of persons under detention.
“Monitoring, inspection and an independent complaints mechanism for people under detention are crucial to the protection of human rights.
“The Programme for Government contains a commitment to ratify OPCAT, and yet it still has not happened. Why has there been such a delay?
“This is not the first time we have seen this type of delay. It was only this month that the Government announced it would accede to the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, despite the fact that the State signed the CRPD in 2007 and ratified it in 2018.
“There should be no delay in ensuring we are meeting our obligations when it comes to issues of human rights,” he said.
At last Thursday’s meeting of the Committee on Justice, Deputy Pringle questioned Minister Helen McEntee on the delay, when the Minister told the committee that drafting of the legislation to facilitate Ireland’s ratification of the optional protocol was progressing well.
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