Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 301: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will make the Equality Authority and the Irish Human Rights Commission directly accountable to the Oireachtas as an important step in ensuring their transparent and independent functioning. [16383/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

The Chief Executive Officer of the Equality Authority is accountable to the Public Accounts Committee, under current legislation. I am satisfied as to the Authority's ability, under current arrangements, to discharge its responsibilities in an independent and transparent way.

I refer the Deputy to my reply below to Parliamentary Question Reference No. 9016 of 3 May 2011. The position in respect of the Human Rights Commission is unchanged since then.

Under current legislation the Chief Executive of the Human Rights 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.