Government to face European courts over ‘shocking’ human rights cuts

SEVERE and disproportionate equality and human rights cuts are grounds for a case against the Irish Government in Europe, the Equality & Rights Alliance (ERA) has claimed.

A spokesperson for the ERA, which is to take a case against the Government to the European Commission, said it is “shocking” that it has to go to Europe to put pressure on the Government to acknowledge the important role of watchdog organisations in society.

“A key element of the tragedy of the industrial schools and reformatories was the failure of independent oversight of closed institutions by the authoritative state bodies,” the ERA said.