Discussion of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights was "relevant to every citizen in Ireland," the Minister for European Affairs, Mr Dick Roche, told yesterday's session in Dublin of the National Forum on Europe.
Many speakers focused on concerns about the reality of implementing these rights during the forum discussion which marked the beginning of public debate on the charter.
The charter assembles existing rights which were previously scattered over a range of sources. It sets out a range of civil, political, social, economic rights. The discussions now centre on how it can be incorporated into EU treaties so that it is legally binding.
Mr Roche said the Government was a strong supporter of the charter. Debate was addressing how to make it more visible to the citizen, he said.
The keynote address was given by Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC, the British government's representative on the charter's working group, who said it was an extraordinary document.
"These rights will not be of any value unless they are enforceable. If you say to our citizens, 'This is your right', they will say, 'Where can I go to enforce it?," she pointed out.
The c.e.o. of the Equality Authority, Mr Niall Crowley, said there were significant limitations on the charter's coverage of equality but "enforceability is a crucial dimension in this debate".
Former Fine Gael TD Ms Nora Owen said there should be awareness of creating false expectations. "My fear would be that the charter would be talked up and there would not be discussion as to how rights can be implemented," she said.
The Catholic Episcopal Conference spokesman, Mgr Brendan Devlin, called on the forum to support recognition of the specific contribution of religion in defining the values of the new Europe.
Mr David Begg, of the ICTU, said there were problems, for example, if it was incorporated in the charter that the elderly should live a life of dignity, but this was meaningless if pensions were not addressed.
Prof Ivana Bacik, of TCD, said she saw the charter as a significant document worthy of political and legal support largely because of its inclusive definition of rights.