SERIOUS CONCERN has been expressed by a number of organisations about the selection of former secretary general in the Department of Justice Seán Aylward as the Irish member of the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture.
Senator Katherine Zappone also expressed concern, and told The Irish Times she was looking forward to hearing from the Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, in the Seanad today whether the Irish ambassador was instructed to vote against the recommendation of the council’s legal affairs and justice committee, which recommended another candidate for the post.
The committee is responsible for monitoring the conditions in which people are detained in prisons, police stations and psychiatric and other institutions in Council of Europe member states.
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties, the Justice for Magdalenes group and the Equality and Rights Alliance, an umbrella group of trade unions and human rights bodies, have all expressed their surprise and disappointment at the appointment.
The Justice for Magdalenes group said: “We are extremely disappointed at the appointment of Mr Aylward, who displayed a callous attitude towards Magdalene survivors while representing the State before the UN Committee against Torture earlier this year.”
Rachel Mullen, Equality and Rights Alliance co-ordinator, said: “Mr Aylward was in charge of some of the organisations that the committee will now be inspecting, which makes no sense.”
Mr Aylward was elected following four ballots by the council’s committee of ministers’ deputies, despite not being the first choice of the legal affairs and human rights committee, which was charged with making a recommendation.
It had recommended NUI Galway academic Donncha O’Connell.
He, Dr Mary Rogan of DIT and Mr Aylward were the three names forwarded by the Minister for Justice for consideration, without any preference being expressed by the Minister.