Ms Geraldine McGahey:

I will come in on the point made by Ms Gibney about racial profiling, for example. We are very aware of concerns about the increased incidences of racial profiling that have apparently being taking place on the Border. In the past, the commission used its powers very successfully to challenge racial profiling.

In a public area of Belfast City Airport, for example, a member was sadly challenged as to her legal status for being in Northern Ireland by virtue of the colour of her skin. We are supporting a number of other cases in a similar vein. We will, therefore, challenge racial profiling where we see it and have the evidence to back it up. We have also called for the strengthening of race equality laws in this area of profiling and emigration. We are really looking for greater protection against racial profiling generally.

A couple of other points were made. It should, perhaps, be important to highlight the judicial reviews and the protocol, and various people's views on the protocol. All three commissions firmly believe that Article 2 is a very important part of the protocol. We are well aware of the discontent and concerns some sections of society have regarding the protocol in its entirety and the ongoing judicial reviews. We are also listening very carefully to the arguments that are being made by both sides and we will keep them under review. We will defend the retention of Article 2 but we will wait and see how those arguments evolve and the implications as we move forward. The economic and trading aspects of it do not fall within our remit, however. Article 2 is very specific on that. The committee can be assured that we will keep it under review, however