Civil society alliance mobilise to protect equality and human rights infrastructure in Ireland

22 December 2009

Equality & Rights Alliance (ERA) is a coalition of over 130 NGOs, trade unions, academics and individual activists set up in August 2008 to protest the dismantling of the statutory equality and human rights infrastructure in Ireland. ERA is campaigning to  defend and strengthen equality and human rights in Ireland, by building a strong alliance of civil society groups that will hold the government and state bodies accountable for the Irish equality and human rights infrastructure

In budget October 2008, the Irish Government imposed savage cuts of 43% on the Equality Authority and 24% on the Irish Human Rights Commission and abolished the National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism. Protesting that the Equality Authority was no longer viable, the Chief Executive Officer, Niall Crowley, resigned in December 2008 along with six Board members of the Authority.

ERA believes that the cuts imposed on both bodies were a deliberate attempt to silence equality and human rights institutions, under the guise of financial savings. Since this time, ERA has grown to become an important independent civil society voice campaigning for an improved equality and human rights infrastructure.

In September 2009 ERA lodged a legal complaint with the European Commission requesting an investigation into whether Ireland is in breach of EU equality directives as a result of the cuts imposed on the Equality Authority. A corresponding petition was submitted to the EU Parliament.

ERA has also commissioned research which was launched in November 2009 at our first major conference. The research explored the issues which gave rise to the cuts to the Equality Authority and the Irish Human Rights Commission and the impact of those cuts to date. The research findings conclude that the independence of our equality and human rights bodies has been compromised by: a behind-closed-doors system of appointments; accountability to government minister and departments rather than Parliament; and lack of financial insulation of budgets. ERA will continue to track the impact of the cuts imposed on both bodies into 2010.

ERA is aware that these are grim times for specialist equality and human rights bodies across the EU. The civil society alliance believe that these difficult times call for solidarity across member states to resist attempts by our governments to dismantle our statutory equality and human rights infrastructure.

For more information about our campaign and to download  our research and complaint to the EU Commission,  please visit our website: www.eracampaign.org or contact  ERA Coordinator Rachel Mullen at: rachel@eracampaign.org

Downlaodable document

ERA commissioned research: 'Downgrading Equality and Human Rights- Assessing the Impact' (PDF, 1.180KB)