Eugene Regan (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Power. He has done a good job as apologist for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Dermot Ahern, in regard to the disproportionate cutbacks in the budgets of the Human Rights Commission and the Equality Authority and the elimination of the Combat Poverty Agency. The Minister of State's speech suggests that fundamental human rights are an issue of concern only to those in faraway places and not to the citizens of this State. The reality, however, is that these bodies are concerned with respect for human rights in this country. The cutbacks have neutered those bodies and reduced if not eliminated their effectiveness. This is clear from the resignation of the former chief executive officer, Mr. Niall Crowley, and several members of the board of the Equality Authority.

It has been suggested that the budget of the Equality Authority increased from €378,000 in its first year of operation to €5.8 million before the budget cutbacks. The reality, as Mr. Crowley pointed out in his interview with The Irish Times in January, is that the figure of €378,000 related to the cost of setting up the authority and that its operational budget in 2000, its first year of operation, was €3.8 million. Now the budget is reduced to €3.3 million, representing a draconian cut in its operating budget.

It is clear that the bodies targeted in these cutbacks, particularly the Equality Authority, have raised fundamental issues that have irritated and annoyed the Government. They are paying the price for that now. The measures adopted are nasty, vindictive and short-sighted. Moreover, they bring the State into disrepute. The United Nations has made known its views in regard to the functioning of the Human Rights Commission and the need for it to be sufficiently resourced. The Minister has ignored that warning.

In his statement, the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Power, speaking for the Minister, Deputy Dermot Ahern, said the Government recognises that their reduced budgets will cause "some difficulties" for the Human Rights Commission and Equality Authority but that there are ongoing discussions between departmental officials and representatives of those bodies. In light of the draconian cuts involved, this is of little use to them. The decision has been made and the Government is determined to eliminate the irritants that have raised issues regarding Government policy, whether in respect of discrimination based on age, rendition or otherwise.

The Minister of State has raised the issue of the European Union association agreement with Israel, stating that it provides a mechanism to raise human rights concerns. I appreciate that the Government has raised its concerns with the Israeli authorities regarding the recent invasion of Gaza. However, I do not see any sustained and consistent policy from the Government on this issue. It is insufficient to raise it once and leave it at that. It is incumbent on the Government, in light of our own experience, to make a sustained effort to change European policy in this regard.