One of Ireland’s most influential Africans has been appointed a member designate of the newly established Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. Fidèle Muwarasibo is integration manager with the Immigrant Council of Ireland and is also the only African selected to the new body, according to the Department of Justice.
One of Ireland’s most influential Africans has been appointed a member designate of the newly established Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.
Fidèle Muwarasibo is integration manager with the Immigrant Council of Ireland and is also the only African selected to the new body, according to the Department of Justice.
Muwarasibo, who will serve for a five-year term, was selected alongside 13 others for the new body, a merger between the Irish Human Rights Commission and the Equality Authority.
“The purpose of this change is to promote human rights and equality issues in a more efficient, effective and coherent way,” said Minister for Justice Alan Shatter in announcing the successful applicants. “The objective of this body will be to champion human rights, including the right to equality.”
Minister Shatter added that legislation to set up the new body is due to be published before the end of the summer term. In the meantime, the members of the new commission will take up their positions on the two existing bodies that are being merged.
“This will both fill the existing gap at board level in the two organisations and ensure that the two organisations can begin operating as a cohesive whole.”
The minister also said that legislation would be enacted to enable for members’ terms to be staggered at three or five years in order to “preserve institutional continuity”.
Apart from Muwarasibo, other members designate appointed for a five-year term include:
- UCC law lecturer Prof Siobhán Mullally, who is also a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration The Hague, as well as a member of the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action Against Human Trafficking;
- Teresa Blake, barrister and chair of the Mental Health Tribunal;
- Orlagh O’Farrell, lecturer in employment and equality law at NUl Maynooth, director of the Equality and Rights Alliance (Era), a member of the Community Legal Resource network and a consultant on equality and discrimination issues;
- Prof Ray Murphy of the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUI Galway and member of the executive committee of the Association of Human Rights Institutes; and
- David Joyce, barrister, lecturer at TCD and former legal policy officer with the Irish Traveller Board.
Those appointed for a three-year term are:
- Mary Murphy, lecturer in Irish Politics and Society at NUl Maynooth;
- Betty Purcell, television producer, lecturer at Dublin City University and external examiner at Griffith College;
- Heidi Foster Breslin, director of the Exchange House National Travellers Service and non-executive director of Mabs, as well as a trustee of Common Purpose Ireland;
- Sunniva McDonogh, barrister and senior counsel, and member of the Property Services Appeals Board, as well as a member of the Penal Strategy Review Group;
- Frank Conaty, chartered accountant and former chair and current member of the National Parents and Siblings Alliance since 2002;
- Mark Kelly, director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL);
- Kieran Rose, chairperson of Glen and senior planner with the Offices of International Relations and Research in Dublin City Council; and
- Liam Herrick of the Irish Penal Reform Trust.