Cost-cutting plan puts human rights bodies in jeopardy

GOVERNMENT-funded human rights bodies are in a fight for survival following a warning that they will be merged, downsized or disbanded to save money.

The Department of Justice has been told by the Department of Finance that it should consider amalgamating at least five of the organisations for which it has responsibility.

The five are the National Disability Authority, the Equality Authority, the Equality Tribunal, the Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) and the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner.