This State could run the risk of breaching the United Nations Convention against Torture and other Cruel and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment if it proceeded with some of its proposals to house asylum-seekers, Mr John Connor (FG) warned.
Contracting states were required by the convention to ensure the outlawing of certain practices which did not rise to the level of torture, such as cruel or degrading treatment, he noted. If we were to house refugees and asylum-seekers in old barracks or on boats offshore, as had been suggested, it would amount to degrading treatment, he contended.
"Now that this convention is part of the law of the land, I warned the Minister of State how close we could come to being in serious breach of the rules of the convention."
Mr Connor also observed that the convention obliged each state to keep its enforcement under review and to ensure that the police and military authorities were well informed about preventing torture.
He wondered if we were putting training facilities in place for the military and the police to ensure that everybody was clearly au fait and up to date on issues such as interrogation methods.
Ms Mary Hanafin, Minister of State for Health and Children, said the convention had been drawn up to provide an international system under which anyone who had committed torture could find no safe haven.
"The Bill, when enacted, will allow Ireland to more fully play its part in this international effort by enabling us to ratify this important UN Convention."
Mr Connor complained that the Government had been very tardy in preparing legislation to ratify another very important UN Convention, dealing with the setting up of an international criminal court.
"I listened to an interview given by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mrs Mary Robinson, in which she referred to the establishment of the International Criminal Court agreed to by 120 countries in Rome in July 1998.
"Sixty nations have to ratify the convention for it to come into force but only six have done so. Ireland has no baggage in this area and should be a pioneer on this issue. However, I am disappointed it is not included in the Department's proposed legislation.
"The Minister of State is an influential member of the Government and I know from our days on the Joint Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights that she is interested in this issue. I plead with her, as I have done unsuccessfully with the Minister, Deputy O'Donoghue."
