MINISTER FOR Justice Alan Shatter has said the Republic would act quickly to implement a recent ruling on abortion by the European Court of Human Rights, and was also “seriously considering” conferring ethnic minority status on Travellers.
Mr Shatter was speaking in Geneva yesterday, where the State’s human rights record was put under scrutiny at the UN.
At the hearing the Government came under pressure regarding the poor condition of the State’s prisons. Under questioning by fellow member states as part of the UN’s universal periodic review, Mr Shatter defended the Government’s performance in areas such as children’s rights and mental health.
Some of the most persistent criticism centred on conditions in prisons, with some 15 states, ranging from the United States to Iran, expressing concern and urging action on poor sanitation, overcrowding and violence among detainees. Mr Shatter said the issues would be raised in Dublin, but took issue with claims excessive violence was a major concern.
“Factually, that isn’t the case,” he said in response to questions from Denmark and other states. “I don’t know where this is originating. I don’t think our prison system in that context is any different to other EU states.”
The Geneva hearing was the first time the Republic has had to answer for its record under the UN Human Rights Council’s periodic review. A report including recommendations for the State is due to be adopted next week.
In response to questions on abortion, Mr Shatter said the Government was committed to “expeditious” implementation of the European Court of Human Rights judgment in the A, B and C case. An expert group would be appointed next month, and he pledged to deal with the abortion issue in an “adequate and comprehensive” way.
He also reaffirmed an “absolute commitment” to hold a referendum next year to enshrine children’s rights in the Constitution.
A number of states, including Afghanistan, Pakistan and Slovakia, challenged Mr Shatter on Travellers’ rights. He noted concerns about health problems and said he was giving “serious consideration” to conferring ethnic minority status on the community.
The Government was urged repeatedly to ratify a number of international conventions it has signed but not acted on. Mr Shatter said the State hoped to ratify a new protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights by the end of the year. This would allow people to take cases to the UN if they felt they had been wronged by the state on issues such as health, education and housing.
He vowed to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol of the Convention Against Torture.
The German delegation asked whether article 41.2 of the Constitution, which recognises “the special position of women in the home”, contradicted the principle of equality. Mr Shatter said many people in the Republic considered the reference “out of date”, and he expected it to be considered by the constitutional convention.
Mr Shatter said a new immigration Bill, including 300 amendments to a previous draft, would be tabled in coming months. He pledged to reduce waiting times for citizenship applications to six months and to streamline the asylum process.
Some states raised reports of racial profiling by Irish authorities. Mr Shatter said the Garda did not engage in the practice, though officers on occasion checked an individual’s papers if suspicious they were in the State illegally.