Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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Question 413: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if the Irish Human Rights Commission will move from his Department to the Department of Justice and Equality; if he will take on board the recommendations of the UN and the Council of Europe and ensure that the Irish Human Rights Commission is independent of any Department and accountable directly to Dáil Éireann; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7982/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Responsibility for the Irish Human Rights Commission transferred to my Department with effect from 1 April 2011.

Under current legislation the Chief Executive of the Commission is accountable to the Public Accounts Committee. The Commission can also be required to make a presentation to an Oireachtas Committee on any matter that has been considered by the Commission. I am satisfied that the independence of the Commission and its ability under current arrangements to discharge its responsibilities in a transparent way are not in doubt.