The Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has expressed its concern at the findings of human rights abuses contained in the Report on an Inspection of St. Patrick’s Institution by the Inspector of Prisons Judge Michael Reilly released today. In his report, Judge Reilly instances a series of cases of abuse of young prisoners in St Patrick’s Institution and recommends, in light of these findings, that the detention of children in St. Patricks should end as a matter of urgency and well before the planned date of May 2014. The Inspector indicates that he will review changes to the situation in St Patrick’s report between the date of his report (June 2012) by 1 November 2012.Responding to the report, the IHRC reiterated its previous concerns about the continued use of St Patrick’s Institution for detaining children (persons under 18 years of age) along with young persons. Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, detention of children should be a last resort. The IHRC called on the Government to act decisively on the Inspector’s recommendations to end the human rights abuses listed in the report including the highlighted violence and bullying of prisoners and the inadequacy of the complaints system. It also called on the Government to confer on the Inspector of Prisons the statutory power to independently publish his reports, without the necessity to have them published through the Minister for Justice and Equality. In the present case the report of the Inspector was published several months after it was completed by the Inspector, thus delaying public scrutiny of a serious human rights situation in the State.The IHRC reiterated its previous call that the State should swiftly introduce a National Preventative Mechanism under the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture, Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment which the Government committed to do at the United Nations Universal Periodic Review in 2011.ENDNotes:The Inspector’s report can be accessed athttp://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Appendix%20A%2005.10.pdf/Files/Appendix%20A%2005.10.pdfIreland accepted the United Nations Universal Periodic Review recommendation on introducing a mechanism under the Optional Protocol but has not taken steps to do so. The Protocol can be accessed at http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/cat-one.htm