The European Commissioner for Human Rights has begun a five-day visit to Ireland today.
Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg will make his first official appearance at the National Gallery in Dublin tomorrow where he will deliver a lecture.
On Wednesday, Mr Hammarberg will go to Cork and meet with students and teaching staff at the University College of Cork's department for criminal justice and human rights and will give a seminar.
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern welcomed the Commissioner's visit. He said: "As a founder member and firm supporter of the Council of Europe, Ireland attaches the highest priority to the Council's work in the area of human rights," said Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern.
During his stay, the Commissioner also plans to visit a centre for asylum seekers, a women's refuge centre and a youth offender centre.
He will finish his five-day stay in meetings with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, and the Garda Commissioner and plans to give preliminary observations of his visit on Friday. Since taking office on April 1st last year, the Commissioner has made assessment visits to Austria, Albania, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Germany and the Ukraine.