UN to hear how austerity hit the weakest hardest

Blaming the troika for hurting the poor will not bail out the Government when its record on protecting the vulnerable is scrutinised by the United Nations next week, the country’s human rights watchdog has warned.

In a critical report, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) says austerity over the past seven years hit the most vulnerable hardest and there are few signs that the economic recovery is improving their situation.

The commission has submitted the report to the UN committee on economic, social, and cultural rights which is holding two days of hearings on Ireland in Geneva on Monday and Tuesday.