Madam, – The claim by a spokesperson for the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Dermot Ahern, that the cutbacks in the Equality Authority’s budget were required to redirect resources towards fighting crime requires close scrutiny. In recent months a number of community-based projects aimed precisely at that objective have been forced to close due to the withdrawal of funding previously provided by the Minister’s department.
Furthermore, the same department continues to waste money in the dark hole of prison expansion plans without any serious attempt to reform our penal system along lines which might address offending and save taxpayers money.
Decisions concerning the Equality Authority have less to do with budget constraints than with the absence of a real desire on the part of the Government to accord a central place to justice, equality and respect for human rights in the shaping of its priorities and policies.
The emperor may have little money, but even less clothes! – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The resignation of Niall Crowley as chief executive of the Equality Authority shows how serious the assault on the equality and human rights infrastructure of the State has become.
Niall Crowley has said the work of the Equality Authority has been fatally compromised by cuts in its budget and forced decentralisation. The anti-racism body NCCRI has lost all its public funding, the National Action Plan Against Racism and Combat Poverty have been closed down and the Irish Human Rights Commission is seriously undermined.
This Government is rolling back the achievements of the last 10 or 20 years in equality and human rights and those who will suffer are the vulnerable and disadvantaged.
What a way of commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
It is not too late yet for someone to call a halt to this human rights vandalism by the Government but time is running out fast. – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The rationale offered by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform for the cuts in funding to the Equality Authority asserts that his priority is to fight crime. Is he really unaware that inequality and discrimination are significant root causes of crime?
That the Government renders the Equality Authority untenable at a time when the economic situation is likely to lead to an increase in inequality speaks volumes. Does the Government really hold marginalised people in such contempt?
What have the Celtic Tiger years done to the country that our legislators think it is all right to act like this? – Yours, etc,
Madam, – The statement by the Minister of Justice that the 43 per cent cutback in the Equality Agency’s budget is to be redirected towards fighting crime is most shortsighted and shows that he fails to realise any connection between the inequality in our Irish social economy and crime.
Our prisons have a disproportionate of people from the lower socio-economic section of our society and anyone who fails to see a sociological connection between both should not hold ministerial office. The so-called fight against crime must begin by tackling the institutional causes of crime and not the symptoms. – Yours, etc,