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Green Party Justice and Equality spokesperson Ciarán Cuffe expressed concern today at the proposed merger of agencies working in the equality and human rights sectors.

The proposed merger, mooted as part of the Government’s State agency rationalisation plans, would see the amalgamation of the Equality Authority, the Human Rights Commission, the Equality Tribunal, the National Disability Authority and the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner into one agency.

“I think we have to tread very carefully. These agencies play a vital role in safeguarding civic and social wellbeing. They provide advice and expertise to the Government and are also instrumental in ensuring that the State adheres to its social justice and human rights obligations,”he said.

Mr Cuffe said merging the agencies, who all have separate functions, was not a logical step.

Yes, we are facing difficulties with the public finances and perhaps we could look at alternate arrangements in terms of finding savings through the provision of common support services to these agencies but I believe that a full merger is not the way forward,” he said.