The duty of upholding human rights was not up to the State alone and responsibility also lay with others, ranging from large multinational companies, churches, media, political parties, employers and trade unions, and individuals, the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, said.

The Minister, speaking on the second stage of the Human Rights Commission Bill 1999, said the Bill had its origins in the Belfast Agreement. One of the steps to strengthen further the protection of human rights in the State was to establish a human rights commission with a mandate and remit equivalent to the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

The commission would be a "model of its kind which will set, rather than follow, standards of best international practice in this field", he said.

The commission would comprise a president and eight other members appointed by the Government and would include men and women broadly reflecting the nature of Irish society. It was not proposed to appoint members of either House of the Oireachtas or MEPs, the Minister said.

Ms Liz O'Donnell, Minister with special responsibility for human rights, said it was essential that the most vulnerable members of society saw the commission as approachable, accessible and representative. It must be seen as an instrument of the people, not of the Government.

Mr Charles Flanagan, Fine Gael spokesman on Northern Ireland and Criminal Law Reform, said the need for a human rights commission was all the more urgent given the controversy surrounding refugees.

Labour's spokesman on justice, Mr Brendan Howlin, said the British government was able to move rapidly on its solemn commitment to establish a human rights commission by the end of last year. However, it had taken this Government over 15 months to produce its Bill last July.