Sir - I am directed by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, John O'Donoghue TD, to say that your article ("Republic should set up rights commission - expert", March 6th) may have given the impression that the Government has yet to make a decision as to whether a Human Rights Commission should be established in this State.
In fact, Minister O'Donoghue's proposal to set up a Human Rights Commission is contained in the Human Rights Commission Bill which was published in July, 1999, and is currently before the Dail where it completed second stage on March 1st.
The establishment of a Human Rights Commission in this jurisdiction, taken together with the recent setting up of the Equality Authority and the Office of the Director of Equality Investigations, means that Ireland will have one of the most developed equality and human rights infrastructures in Europe. The Commission will have a wide ranging jurisdiction in the area of human rights and fundamental freedoms and will participate in the Joint Committee of Representatives drawn from the Commissions in this State and Northern Ireland which will act as a forum for consideration of human rights in the island of Ireland as provided for in the Good Friday Agreement - Yours, etc.,
Tony Cotter, Press & Information Officer, Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2.