Ms Sin?ad Gibney:

Can I jump in on this? There is something that I did not get to answer when replying to Deputy Conway-Walsh's question, and this is Sinn Féin speaking time.

In the context of her questions on how our work can be better leveraged by Members of the Oireachtas, I reiterate a call that we have put out since 2016, which is for the establishment of an Oireachtas committee on human rights and equality. We believe that would provide an appropriate link between our organisation and the Oireachtas, to which it is directly accountable; not to Government or a Department, but to the Oireachtas. When the Assembly is functioning, we envy the strong relationship that I see operationalised between the NIHRC and the Committee for the Executive Office within the Assembly that we do not echo here in this jurisdiction, where we are invited before specific committees, as I am today, to provide human rights and equality insights. However, we do not have that established mechanism, which I believe is appropriate under our legislation and the direct accountability that we have. I reiterate that call for the establishment of a committee or, if a committee is not feasible, another mechanism by which we have that stronger link between us, as the national human rights and equality institution, and the Oireachtas.