Ireland budget cuts put human rights at risk

The human rights of vulnerable people, including children and the elderly, might be at risk because of austerity measures being implemented by the Irish government – warned the Council of Europe today.

Thomas Hammarberg, the council's human rights commissioner, stressed that the government should avoid cutting the number of staff working in Ireland's national human rights structures in order to protect their independence and effectiveness. "Budget cuts planned in Ireland may be detrimental for the protection of human rights. It is crucial to avoid this risk, in particular regarding vulnerable groups of people," he said, in a report published today following a visit to the country in June.

Noting that 18.6 per cent of Irish children were at risk of poverty, and 8.7 per cent lived in "consistent poverty" in 2009 – an increase of 38 per cent on the previous year – Hammarberg expressed concern that the situation might be made worse by cuts to child benefits and public services such as healthcare and education.

Meanwhile allegations of neglect and abuse in private care homes for the elderly should be investigated and protection for residents increased. "The more the aging population increases, the more important it becomes that social protection systems, health care, housing policies and also anti-discrimination legislation including in the labour market, are suitable for older people," the commissioner said.

Progress had been also slow in the area of mental health, despite the National Disability Strategy, Hammarberg added. "The authorities should step up their efforts as pledged and invest in community care. They should also ensure that people with disabilities are not adversely affected by the budget crisis, in particular in terms of health care and social services."

Moreover, Ireland should do more to integrate Traveller communities by providing quality education and improving political participation. Quoting a non-governmental organisation which said that only 30 per cent of Roma children in Ireland attended school, Hammarberg warned against planned cuts to the number of teachers and special needs assistance, and the phasing-out of Senior Traveller Training Centres.

Although he said that frameworks to combat discrimination, racism and xenophobia were robust, Hammarberg criticised Ireland for not giving transgender people accurate legal recognition. Similarly, while increased care for asylum seeking children was welcome, the asylum and immigration system as a whole should be simplified to improve efficiency and transparency, he said.

While commending Ireland overall "well-established system for promoting and protecting human rights, in line with international standards," he criticised the failure to put in place legislation setting out a framework allowing abortion when a woman's life was endangered by pregnancy, despite a 1992 Supreme Court judgement and in compliance with Irish case law. Hammarberg reiterated that the lack of legislation adversely affected women who did not have the financial means to seek medical services outside the country and were therefore vulnerable.

In response, the Irish authorities said they would "give careful attention to the report's recommendations" which would aid their ongoing work to improve the protection of human rights. In its programme for government, the new administration said it would "strive to ensure that every one of our citizens has an effective right, free from discrimination, to contribute to the economic, social and cultural life of the nation".