24 Jun 2015, 17:47
Separately, Committee to meet republican and loyalist prisoner groups to consider reintegration issues
24 June 2015
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement will tomorrow hear concerns that the terms of the 1998 Agreement may be affected if the British Government carries through on its pre-election promises to repeal the UK Human Rights Act and withdraw from the European Court of Human Rights.
Emily Logan, Chief Commissioner, Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and Les Allamby, Chief Commissioner, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, will address the Committee.
Chairman of the Committee Frank Feighan TD says: “The protection of human rights is core to the Good Friday Agreement and tomorrow, we will have an opportunity to hear from the human rights commissions on both sides of the border on their concerns around the potential repeal by the UK government of the UK Human Rights Act, 1998. In this context, the Committee will be updated on the potential adverse impact that the withdrawal from the European Convention could have on the uniformity of human rights standards across these islands.
“The Committee has previously discussed the related issue of a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland, for which provision was originally included in the Good Friday Agreement. Our Committee is keen to explore what progress has been made on this issue so will be very interested to hear the views of both Mr Allamby and Ms Logan on the issue.”
Separately, the Committee will hear from Michael Culbert of Coiste na nIarchimí and Tom Roberts and Robert Campbell of the Ex Prisoners’ Interpretative Centre (EPIC). They will address the Committee on what they perceive as the outstanding legacy issues in Northern Ireland affecting the reintegration of political prisoners.
Deputy Feighan continues: “Coiste na nIarchimí is an Irish republican ex –prisoners’ support group established in 1998, while EPIC has been working since 1995 to reintegrate politically motivated prisoners, particularly those from an Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) and Red Hand Commando (RHC) background. Tomorrow the Committee will have an opportunity to consider the work of both organisations in addressing the problems surrounding the re-integration of political prisoners. The Committee views this as an outstanding legacy issue that needs to be resolved in terms of lasting reconciliation”
The meeting takes place tomorrow Thursday 25 June at 10:15 am in Committee Room 4, Leinster House 2000, commencing with the issue of prisoner reintegration.
Committee proceedings can be followed live here.
Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the move, through the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.
Ends
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Committee Membership
Deputies:
Seán Conlan, Fine Gael
Seán Crowe, Sinn Féin
Regina Doherty, Fine Gael
Frank Feighan, Fine Gael (Chairman)
Martin Ferris, Sinn Féin
Peter Fitzpatrick, Fine Gael
Michael P. Kitt, Fianna Fáil
Dinny McGinley, Fine Gael
Joe O’Reilly, Fine Gael (Vice-Chairman)
Maureen O’Sullivan, Independent
Thomas Pringle, Independent
Ruairí Quinn, Labour
Brendan Smith, Fianna Fáil
Joanna Tuffy, Labour
Jack Wall, Labour
Senators:
Maurice Cummins, Fine Gael
Jim D’Arcy, Fine Gael
Mary Moran, Labour
Mary White, Fianna Fáil