The Government is expected to appoint a new team of members to the Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) after a five-year term of office ended for its 14 commissioners yesterday.
The appointment of members to the body was a source of major controversy five years ago when the Government clashed with human rights groups over the composition of the commission.
The appointments process has since been reformed. A four-person panel - Supreme Court judge Mrs Justice Catherine McGuinness; Senator Maurice Hayes, Paddy MacEntee SC and chairwoman of the Equality Authority Karen Erwin - is due to draw up a shortlist of names for the Government to consider in the coming weeks.
Yesterday, president of the commission, Dr Maurice Manning, said it was a testament to the work of all the outgoing commissioners that the body went on to work in a cohesive and co-operative manner.
It is understood that around half of the outgoing commissioners have reapplied to join the new board of commissioners.
The IHRC is widely seen to have made a number of significant and influential contributions to areas relating to justice, disability, racism, gender and economic and social rights since its establishment.
It gained prominence most recently after its intervention in the controversy surrounding extraordinary renditions.
While its work is domestically-focused it has also earned respect internationally through its role in the development of the UN's draft disability treaty.
It has also appeared before UN committees during the examinations of State reports on racism and discrimination against women.
Dr Manning said: "Collectively we can be proud of the achievements of the past five years and, in this context, I wish to also pay tribute to my predecessor, Mr Justice Donal Barrington, the first president of the commission.
"Our contribution internationally is evidenced by our membership of the European Co-ordinating Committee of European National Institutions as well as on the International Co-ordinating Committee of National Institutions."
The commission's chief executive, Dr Alpha Connelly, said the IHRC was now firmly established, and was recognised as an authoritative voice in the promotion of human rights in the Republic of Ireland.
She said: "The challenge for the incoming commissioners is to sustain and to build upon the achievements of the commission to date." The 14 outgoing commissioners are Prof William Binchy, Olive Braiden, Martin Collins, Prof Robert Daly, Suzanne Egan, Maureen Harding Clarke, Michael Farrell, Nuala Kelly, Clodach McGrory, Prof Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, Prof Gerard Quinn, Mervyn Taylor, Tom O'Higgins and Katherine Zappone.
