Government action ‘dismantles’ equality safeguards

THE former head of the Equality Authority who resigned in protest at cuts in the organisation’s budget has said the country is in an “equality crisis“.

Niall Crowley said the Government was “dismantling” equality safeguards by scrapping independent human rights agencies and gagging lobby groups by starving them of funds.

Mr Crowley, who left his post last December after 10 years as chief executive, said the recession was being used as an excuse to undermine equality groups. “It’s serving as a cover to dismantle the gains made in achieving equality over the last few years. We need to recognise that we have an equality crisis that accompanies the economic crisis,” he said.

He was backed by Amnesty Ireland’s programmes director Noeleen Hartigan, who also accused the Government of having an ulterior motive in cutting supports to equality groups other than simply making financial savings.

“Clearly the Irish Government does not like the reality of ordinary people having the right to challenge civil servants when their rights are being denied. Clearly they do not like the Human Rights Commission telling them they are complicit in the torture of men who ended up in Guantanamo Bay.”

Independent senator and Trinity College law professor Ivana Bacik said public representatives were also frustrated with the Government’s treatment of equality organisations. “Any time equality is the issue or human rights are raised, the answer is always: ‘it’s the economy, stupid’. To be raising any other issue is almost unpatriotic.”

The Government has cited financial restraints for decisions to subsume the formerly independent Combat Poverty Agency into a government department, abolish the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, merge the Irish Human Rights Commission with the Equality Authority and cut the latter’s funding by 43%.

In the wake of the Green Party’s conference, Mr Crowley said he believed some kind of deal had been done between the Greens and Justice Minister Dermot Ahern and he urged opposition parties to hold Mr Ahern to account.

The comments were made at the launch of a handbook published by Amnesty Ireland for human rights organisations and community activists, which gives practical tips on how to go about running campaigns, lobbying Government and securing media coverage.