Economic policies affecting people’s rights, says UN committee

The Government is adopting economic policies with no regard for their effect on people’s welfare or rights despite their continuing to increase poverty, according to a UN committee reviewing Ireland’s social rights commitments.

It wants the Government to look at the effect of cuts, especially on health, education, access to justice and an adequate standard of living, and not just consider the economic targets in isolation.

While social welfare spending increased from €16bn to €20bn, the number of recipients increased by 50%, and families were the worst affected with their rights overruled by economic expediency, said the committee.

They said Irish people have no way of insisting the state respects their economic, social and cultural rights as they, and the UN covenant guarantee them, are not written into law or the constitution.

Barrister Maeve O’Rourke who represented Justice for Magdalene’s at the hearing, said the state showed “no hint of embarrassment” about the fact that they did not assess the effect policies have on people’s lives.

All discrimination was not outlawed, with women’s rights still falling short of equality as shown by the gender pay gap for instance.

They were equally critical of the ‘direct provision’ for asylum seekers that they said violated a number of their rights.

The committee will make its formal report later this month.