People denied their basic rights

IT has been reported that the Government is going to seek election to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Surely, if election to this council is to be sought, then surely the Government should first establish that Ireland has ensured that all the people of Ireland have been provided with the human rights specified in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Is this the case? It doesn’t look like it. In this regard, article 25 of the Declaration says, among other things, that everyone has the right to “a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing housing and medical care”. This is the responsibility of governments, not of charities.