Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Ms Logan for her presentation. My first question is related to the one asked by the Chairman. How does the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC, propose to engage in the economic and budgetary cycle? What in-house expertise is available to it to assist it in doing so? Does it employ an economist?

The submission refers to the links the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has developed with international proofing experts such as the Central American Institute of Fiscal Studies and its in-house experience in gender equality and poverty proofing budgets. It also refers to the prohibition of regressive measures in budgeting. What precisely is meant by this phrase? For example, the submission refers to the recent recession. How would a prohibition of regressive measures in budgets apply in a recession? How will this pan out in the IHREC's interactions on future budgets?