Human rights record: Minister has to defend indefensible

Given this country’s abysmal record on human rights, it is not surprising that Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald is facing a baptism of fire while a bevy of civil servants are subjected to a barrage of penetrating questions from members of the UN committee on human rights in Geneva.

As witnessed in the blood-soaked recent history of Northern Ireland, this island is no stranger to abuse of human, civil, and political rights. Yet another glaring example is to be seen in the plight of countless women in the Republic who found themselves subjected to appalling treatment in Magdalene laundries.

Against that backdrop, the UN committee is questioning Ireland’s policies towards women and children. Continuing today, it is the State’s fourth hearing before the committee, where a picture of a very backwards society is inevitably emerging.