David Norris (Independent)

Dr. Manning was the Fine Gael leader in this House. It is interesting that, although he is a diplomatic person and did not come into direct conflict with the Government, he raised some worrying issues. He made the suggestion that there is a gradual move to absorb the Irish Human Rights Commission into a Department and not to respect that distance that must exist between human rights organisations and Departments. What was highlighted in particular, and most astonishingly, was the violation of the Paris Principles, the very principles in the United Nations to which Ireland signed up and which are being violated by this Bill, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Bill, that will be presented before this House. I refer in particular to head 17(5) which states: "The first Director-----