THE GOVERNMENT has decided to merge the Human Rights Commission and the Equality Authority into a new Human Rights and Equality Commission.
This follows months of uncertainty about the two bodies. The term of the board of the Equality Authority expired in July and no new board was appointed. The term of the 14-member Human Rights Commission is due to expire next month, though that of its president, Dr Maurice Manning, does not expire until next year.
The merger of the two bodies was first mooted by the last government, which drastically cut the budget of both bodies – by 43 per cent for the Equality Authority and 23 per cent for the commission. However, the proposal met a storm of protest and was shelved.
Among the many obstacles to a merger was the fact that the Irish Human Rights Commission is a creation of the Belfast Agreement, and there was concern in the Department of Foreign Affairs that any move to weaken it would lead to a weakening of the parallel structures in Northern Ireland.
There was also concern that Ireland would be perceived internationally as undermining its human rights infrastructure. Ireland is facing its universal periodic review of its human rights record at the UN next month, and the Government is anxious that any structural reforms are not perceived as back-tracking on human rights commitments.
However, at the launch of the Irish Human Rights Commission’s annual report last July, the Minister for Justice indicated he wished to enhance the role of the commission rather than diminish it when “reviewing the architecture of our human rights infrastructure to ensure that resources are used efficiently.”
Among the reforms Mr Shatter said he would introduce in new legislation would be having the commission report to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women’s Rights rather than the Department of Justice.
He said it was important the human rights commission had funding to appear in cases, rather than relying on pro bono work in cases in which it appeared as amicus curiae (friend of the court).
Mr Shatter also referred then to the benefit he and other Opposition spokespeople had had from dealings with the commission, especially on the Immigration and Residence Bill, which had been redrafted. A new version of the Bill is to be introduced into the Oireachtas shortly. Legislation to provide for the new body is expected to be published this term and could be law by Christmas.
