Sir, – I refer to Carol Coulter’s article on the opportunity open to the Government to demonstrate its commitment to transparency and accountability with the appointment of a new Irish Human Rights Commission later this year (Opinion, July 4th).
Actually, the Government has an imminent opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to transparency and a renewed equality and human rights infrastructure.
The current board of the Equality Authority is scheduled to complete its term at the end of this month. In keeping with pre-election coalition commitments, not just to equality but to reformed public sector appointments, the new board should be appointed through a publicly advertised procedure administered by the Public Appointments Commission.
Equality Rights Alliance, a coalition of over 170 organisations and individuals, has already written to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Alan Shatter, making this recommendation. To date, however, there has been no response.
ERA commissioned research in 2009 on the impact of budget cuts to the Equality Authority and the Irish Human Rights Commission. It found there was a lack of clarity and transparency in regard to the appointments to the board of the Equality Authority particularly.
ERA has proposed to Mr Shatter that the Equality Board appointments should include the following criteria: gender balance; representation of the protected equality grounds; trade union and employer body representatives; members to have a knowledge and commitment to equality issues; and appointment of an independent chairperson.
Both coalition parties were critical of the previous government’s erosion of the independence of the Equality Authority and the Irish Human Rights Commission, a point made by Ms Coulter. The appointment of the new Equality Board will be an interesting test of follow-through. – Yours, etc,