Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am entirely satisfied that all the elements of my proposals in relation to the establishment of the new Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC, as set out in the general scheme published last June, are fully in accordance with the Paris Principles, which are the set of rules or standards that relate to the accreditation of national human rights institutions for UN purposes. These principles include that commissions should be free to recruit their own staff. The general scheme provides that for the future, the new commission will be free to recruit its own staff but recognises that we are in a merger situation with two existing bodies, whose staff will transfer across to the new Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. This includes the one existing person at CEO level, who will become the director of the new body. The person involved is not my nominee but is the person in situ in a merger situation. The Government and the new commission would be subject to justifiable criticism were the cost of a duplicate CEO director post to be incurred. Lest there be any doubt, I am completely satisfied that the person in question will do an excellent and independent job in the role. The decision to continue with the existing CEO during the initial transitional phase as we set up the new body is a rational one which is supported by the emphasis in the working group's report on the need for change management and continuity during this phase. The person concerned was recruited by the Equality Authority, not by my Department, using the services of the Public Appointments Service. She is an employee of the authority for the duration of her contract and not of the Department. She is not on secondment from the Department, that is, her salary is paid by the Equality Authority. She does not report to or take instructions from the Department. Likewise, she will become an employee of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. If the Equality Authority CEO post, rather than the Human Rights Commission post had become vacant, the exact same process would have been followed, subject to the person involved also becoming an employee of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.

There are no specific references to staffing issues in the Belgrade Principles, which relate to the relationship between national parliaments and national human rights institutions and cover such issues as parliamentary oversight of the selection process for recruiting commissioners. I am entirely satisfied that every thing we are doing and the very helpful and productive involvement of the Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality and Defence in reviewing the general scheme of the Bill and in meeting with members of the selection panel has been entirely positive and in line with the spirit of the Belgrade Principles.

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