Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 911: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress which has been made in establishing an all-island charter of rights as intended following the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. [24318/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Paragraph 10 of the section entitled "Rights, Safeguards and Equality of Opportunity" of the Agreement reached in the multi-party negotiations provides for the establishment of a joint committee of representatives of the two human rights commissions, North and South, as a forum for consideration of human rights issues in Ireland. It is stated in paragraph 10:

The joint committee will consider, among other matters, the possibility of establishing a charter, open to signature by all democratic political parties, reflecting and endorsing agreed measures for the protection of the fundamental rights of everyone living in the island of Ireland.

In so far as the position in this jurisdiction is concerned, section 8(i) of the Human Rights Commission Act 2000 provides that the Human Rights Commission shall take whatever action is necessary in this regard. I have made inquiries with the commission on the position and have been informed that the two commissions have met regularly in joint committee and produced, inter alia, a pre-consultation paper on a charter of rights for the island of Ireland. This document was published on 14 May 2003 and circulated to stakeholders in the area, including the major political parties. Replies to this paper were subsequently considered by the joint committee which is scheduled to meet again on 19 October 2005.