Citizenship vote may row back on human rights

THE forthcoming referendum on Irish citizenship could lead to a rowing back of human rights provisions, the head of the Human Rights Commission claimed yesterday.

Dr Maurice Manning said he would be meeting his counterparts in the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission in the next few weeks to consider the impact of the issue on the Good Friday Agreement.

The Government has announced a referendum on whether to restrict the right to Irish citizenship for children born to foreign nationals to be held on June 11 the same day as European and local elections.