An Taoiseach Enda Kenny T.D. today addressed a special event to commemorate 10 years of the Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) as an independent statutory body for the promotion and protection of human rights in Ireland.
Addressing the event Dr Maurice Manning, President of the IHRC, pointed to the Commission’s many achievements since becoming fully operational in 2003. He said
"The Commission is now widely respected by UN and European bodies as independent of both the Government and NGOs and as a body whose work is solid, considered and reliable."
Dr Manning continued
"Over the past ten years many individuals and groups have come to the IHRC to seek help in protecting their rights. As well as dealing with individual concerns, the IHRC has been proactive in reviewing legislation, conducting enquiries and engaging in legal proceedings. The IHRC has, in fact, made a contribution on almost all the major societal issues facing Ireland today including the current economic crisis, immigration, racism, policing, the criminal justice system, education, women, children and minority rights. It has done so with ever decreasing resources."
Dr Manning said
"I wish to acknowledge the importance of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, to which the IHRC and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission owe their existence. Through both Commissions’ collective efforts, human rights promotion and protection have also been furthered on the island of Ireland."
Speaking on the current Government proposal to merge the Irish Human Rights Commission and the Equality Authority, Dr Manning said
"A strong, independent, robust Commission is both a proof of Ireland’s continuing commitment to human rights and a powerful instrument to ensure that that commitment is fulfilled. While the Commission’s view is that a stand-alone body offers the best means of protecting human rights in Ireland, we will work constructively to make the proposed new body a success provided it meets with the key criteria necessary for a national human rights institution to be effective."
Dr Manning continued
"The new body must be independent and be seen to be such. This is vital to ensuring confidence in monitoring of State activities that impact on human rights and equality, and in enabling a new structure to speak out where improvements need to be made. In addition to independence, ensuring the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement’s provisions are respected, full compliance with the UN Paris Principles (the international standards for the mandate and functioning of national human rights institutions) and making the Commission accountable to the Oireachtas, the Government should also ensure a transparent and credible Board appointments process, independent staffing and provide adequate resources for the proposed body."
ENDS/
For further information, please contact:
Fidelma Joyce, IHRC,
Tel: 01 8589601; Mob: 087 783 4939
Notes to Editor
Event with An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny T.D. takes place at 1pm, 21 September 2011 at No. 6 Kildare Street, Dublin 2.
The Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) was established, under statute, to promote and protect the human rights of everyone in Ireland. The human rights that the IHRC is mandated to promote and protect are the rights, liberties and freedoms guaranteed under the Irish Constitution and under international agreements, treaties and conventions to which Ireland is a party.
The IHRC had its origins in the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement in 1998. However, such a body was first recommended by the Constitution Review Group in 1996.
The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement required the establishment of both the Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) . While both organisations operate to promote and protect human rights in separate jurisdictions, we also work together to improve human rights protections on the island of Ireland.
The Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) works to promote and protect human rights in Ireland in a number of different ways:
- Promoting awareness about human rights
- Promoting and providing human rights education and training
- Recommending to Government how human rights standards should be reflected in Irish legislation, policy and practice
- Promoting debate around human rights issues as part of the legislative process
- Appearing before the High Court and Supreme Court as amicus curiae, ‘friend of the court’, to assist the courts with the interpretation of human rights standards in specific cases.
- Carrying out enquiries into human rights concerns
- Publishing and promoting research and reports on human rights
The IHRC plays an active role internationally. It is recognised by the United Nations (UN) as Ireland’s National Human Rights Institution (NHRI). From 2006-2011 the IHRC chaired the European Group of NHRIs who work strategically to advance human rights across Europe. The IHRC was also a member of the Bureau of the International Coordinating Committee of NHRIs, which comprises over 100 NHRIs from around the world.
The IHRC has offered observations on over 40 legislative Bills, appeared 12 times as amicus curiae before the Superior Courts, dealt with a caseload of 3000 legal communications – often as the last port of call for desperate people, conducted enquiries and carried out research on a wide range of issues as well as engaging in awareness and educational work on an increasing scale on critical human rights issues facing Ireland.