The Minister for Justice is to propose increasing the membership of the new Human Rights Commission by at least four members in an effort to defuse the controversy over its composition, which led to the threatened resignation of its president, Mr Justice Donal Barrington, earlier this week.
Mr O'Donoghue yesterday met the original selection committee which recommended names for the commission. These were largely ignored when the Government appointed the commission. Yesterday he proposed increasing its size.
However, it is not clear if his proposal will meet the concerns of the selection committee and other critics of the manner in which the commission was appointed. They relate to the procedures involved and the issues of transparency and representativity, rather than to the merits of the individuals nominated.
The controversy erupted when it emerged that only one person on the list of eight most favoured by the selection committee, Ms Fionnnuala ni Aolain, had been appointed to the commission. The selection committee, chaired by Dr T.K. Whitaker, had provided the Government with a list of 16 names.
Eight received unanimous priority recommendation and eight others were also named. Three of those appointed by the Government were from the second group of eight.
The Irish Times has confirmed that Mr Justice Barrington offered his resignation last Monday, but withdrew it in the light of undertakings from the Minister.
It is understood that the Government had severe reservations about the representative nature of the list drawn up by the selection committee, and felt it did not meet the requirement of the legislation that the commission should be broadly representative of Irish society.
Mr O'Donoghue will propose the additions to the commission to the meeting of the Cabinet next Tuesday.