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.

“In this light, it is all the more shocking that the state has over the past year moved to dismantle independent bodies which work to protect vulnerable groups who continue to live behind closed doors in our society today.”

According to Orlagh O’Farrell, an expert on EU anti-discrimination law, singling out equality for cuts of 43% in April’s supplementary raised very serious doubts about continuing compliance with EU directives.

“It is the disproportionate nature of the Irish budget cuts, combined with their severity, that move this issue into the area of non-compliance,” said Ms O’Farrell, who added that 200 cases a year will now be dropped from the Equality Authority due to the cuts.

“In societies with greater income inequality, more people are sent to prison, and less is spent on education and welfare,” Ms O’Farrell said.