The plan to merge five different organisations with responsibility for different aspects of human rights protection is “unworkable, inappropriate and frankly untenable”, according to the chairwoman of a new grouping set up to oppose it.
The Equality & Rights Alliance has been formed in response to the Government’s proposal to merge the Equality Tribunal, the Equality Authority, the National Disability Authority, the Data Protection Commission and the Irish Human Rights Commission.
Its chairwoman, Joanna McMinn of the National Women’s Council, said that the total budgets for the five organisations constitute less than four per cent of the overall budget for the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
She pointed out that the Government’s proposal was pre-empting an action plan for public service reform currently being worked on by a special Task Force. The Task Force was appointed by An Taoiseach only last May following a review by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
She said the Alliance supported the OECD recommendation for the development of a network system which would allow public service agencies to work together efficiently and cost effectively, sharing resources when appropriate. However, simply merging five incompatible groups into one was a far cry from sensible integration.
“The five organisations are very different in type, function and statutory remit. A merger would not result in savings or simplify the delivery of services to people. In fact, it may well be the case that a larger body doing the same work will cost more and will be more confusing for those seeking to use their services.”
David Joyce, equality officer with Ictu, agreed. “If there is to be a forum for a discussion on equality infrastructure, the Task Force is the forum for it,” he said.
He said that over the summer the ICTU, in reviewing the social and economic elements commitments contained in the last partnership agreement, Towards 2016, had identified a general under-resourcing of the equality infrastructure.
Their frustration at the lack of commitment to equality was enhanced by the announcement of the planned merger of the five bodies. “It is clearly an attempt to undermine the effectiveness of these bodies,” he said.
Ictu had written to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to discuss this proposal.
John Douglas of Mandate, and a member of the Executive Council of the Ictu, said that bodies like the Equality Authority “punched way beyond their weight” in defending the rights of the those otherwise unrepresented. He said that he had just come from the pay talks, where the same issues were being addressed, concerning the development of a rights-based culture.
Donncha O’Connell, former Dean of Law in NUI Galway said that the proposal was less about cost cutting and more about suppressing organisations which were doing their jobs well.
“One cannot but fear that ‘delivery simplification’ will really mean a reduction in that which is being delivered,” he said. “In other words, the more awkward enforcement and promotion powers possessed by some of the bodies will become advisory powers of a much more muted kind.”
He pointed out that extensive amendment would be needed to 10 pieces of national legislation, four pieces of European Union legislation and one international agreement if the merger was to go ahead. “The temptation to fiddle with their mandates would be very great,” he said, reducing them to a purely advisory function.
Sylvia Meehan, former head of the predecessor of the Equality Authority, the Employment Equality Authority, and now president of the Irish Senior Citizens Parliament, said that in this instance “rationalisation” meant cuts. There had been no proper consultation, she said.