Time for the Equality Authority Board to also resign?
Posted by Maman Poulet on 12 Dec 2008 at 11:29 am | Tagged as: Equality, Irish Politics
The board of the Equality Authority are appointed by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. They are made up of representatives of ICTU, IBEC and the social partners and groups covered by the legislation. From my knowledge of some of the appointees many are committed to the goals of the Authority and the promotion of an effective equality infrastructure and practice through all sectors of Irish society.
I’m wondering where their principles lie this morning following the resignation of Niall Crowley yesterday? Angela Kerins chairs the board of an organisation that faces a 43% cut and a very disabling move to Roscrea whilst other agencies were not hit in any similar manner.
Some might say if they resign they’ll be replaced by other government appointees but a resignation by several members of the board including union and business appointees might indicate that the commitment mentioned above can’t be bought off/thought of lightly.
What else would you suggest? Lots of readers this morning googling on the issue…
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There is a poll on the irish Times website today (13/12/08) regarding the cuts to the budget Equality Authority. Please show your support by voting ‘NO’ to the cuts, and passing the message on. The poll closes at midnight.
Here is the link: http://www.irishtimes.com/polls/
The remaining board members (including the ICTU rep) have zero credibility. If it is possible for the EA to do its job on a 43% cut, they should have come up with this proposal themselves. If it is not possible for the EA to do its job, they have to resign.
It is interesting to note that this is not the first Director of a state body to resign under Ms Kerins chair. See http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showpost.php?p=764654&postcount=7 for more details
It will be interesting to see who goes- those with a genuine commitment to equality who cant bear to watch the travesty it will become as a consequence of the cuts and Niall’s absence, and those who stay, too entangled in the coat tails of government to do anything else.
The Board need to resign in full to support Neil Crowley’s stance -If they don’t they are only token puppets and one would have to question what their agenda is if they stay on-perhaps we all need to question them why if they don’t resign?-Also what happens now who is going to replace Neil Crowley-Who has the power to appoint there?
There seems to be some dodgy stuff going on in the Background with a Secretarty General who is noted for having no time or interest in the ‘equality’ aspect of his department -Bar of course with those who reman silent and uncritical in their ‘equality agenda’-
Equality body sought Garda help over department chief-
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2008/1215/1229035720264.html
[...] an interesting comment today on the Equality Authority Issue (which won’t be going away anytime [...]
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One wonders this evening if the Equality Authority might have been “captured” by GLEN.
GLEN, as you will know, has been holding a series of briefing sessions around the country on the partnership bill. (Interesting to note that the first time GLEN actually deigns to engage with the lgb communities in years, it does so to “instruct” it on the situation rather then to listen to that community.)
Anyways, this evening in Dublin, the Equality Authority hosted a briefing session on the Bill, with a select set of lgbt organisations — TENI, MarriagEquality, LGBT Noise, and LOOK, the newish name for the group of parents of lgbt people were among the attendance.
Was GLEN not able to convince the other organisations working on this issue to come to a briefing session and did it need the name of a state agency to bring them to the same table?
Somehow, though, I don’t see the likes of LGBT Noise or MrriagEquality digging GLEN out of the hole it has made by championing a bill that has damn all support in the lgbt communities.
And a likkle birdie tell me that the NLGF will put a further damper on GLEN’s stance later this week when it reveals the findings of research the organisation has done in the lgbt communities on what the members of those communities identify as their priority issues. Marriage is top of the list, but partnership rights are not at the races, I am told.
[...] of LGBT organisations were invited to the Equality Authority for a briefing on the Bill. As Tipster says it’s a bit odd that GLEN could not/did not want to get all the players into the room and a [...]
From The Irish Times, Saturday 2 January 2010: