The new Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission must be “clearly and unambiguously” independent of Government, a new report has emphasised
A working group was set up in the wake of the controversial decision to merge the Human Rights Commission and the Equality Authority, which was announced last September.
Both bodies had their budgets cut during the first wave of Government cuts in 2008.
The group, which was set up to advise Minister for Justice Alan Shatter on how a new commission should function, received 69 submissions. “Almost every source” agreed that the new body should adhere to the terms of the Paris principles that guarantee any human rights body should be independent from Government under statute.
Irish Human Rights Commission president Maurice Manning said the report had taken a “positive approach” in setting out the values that must underpin a human rights and equality body, especially in highlighting that such a body should be independent of Government.