A human rights revolution is necessary at all levels of An Garda Síochána, according to the president of the Human Rights Commission. Maurice Manning was speaking to The Irish Times to mark the launch of the second annual report of the commission.
"In the coming year the question of policing and human rights will be an important part of the work of the Human Rights Commission," said Dr Manning.
"The imminent establishment of a police ombudsman is a major advance, but of itself will not be sufficient to deal with the current crisis of confidence."
This could be best achieved, he said, through education at all levels, through constant monitoring, and most of all, through an openness to outside expertise and assessment.
"These changes will not be easy, and undoubtedly many of them will be resisted, but without them, regaining public confidence will not be possible."
He also called for closer links with Oireachtas committees in order to scrutinise legislation at its pre-enactment stage. "Greater engagement at this stage could ensure that potential human rights difficulties could be eliminated and that a positive human rights approach be taken."
One of the principal functions of the commission is to examine proposed legislation to ensure it conforms to Ireland's international and constitutional human rights obligations. The report said the only Government department that routinely sends planned legislation to the commission is the Department of Justice. The commission had been assured that other departments would do so, but so far they had not.
The report also said it is concerned that there is "a view in Government that the commission, in its current form, is essentially the finished product rather than a work in progress".
If it was to meet the target set for it by the Taoiseach, "setting rather than following standards of best international practice in this area", then it needed a significant increase in resources. At the moment it is understaffed and underfunded.