SIX NEW PEOPLE have been appointed to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.

The six commissioners, announced by Equality Minister Norma Foley at Cabinet this evening, have been independently recommended by the Public Appointments Service following a recruitment campaign.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is an independent public body with a mandate to protect and promote human rights and equality.

Its commissioners are tasked with raising awareness about human rights issues and working to prevent breaches.

The Commission recently took a case against the state over its failure to provide basic needs, such as housing, to thousands of people who sought international protection in Ireland. The High Court ruled in the Commission’s favour, but the ruling was subsequently overturned after an appeal from the state.

The initial ruling had opened up the possibility for the state to be sued in the future.

The Commission comprises 15 board members. The six newly appointed commissioners will receive the basic board fee of €7,695 per annum. 

They are Sam Blanckensee, Cathryn Costello, Adam Harris, Rosaleen McDonagh, Patricia Munatsi and Rose Wall,

Sam Blanckensee is the current Equality Officer at Maynooth University. He has previously worked with the Irish Traveller Movement and the Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI). 

Cathryn Costello is professor of Global Refugee and Migration Law at University College Dublin, where she is also the Director of the PhD programme. She is a leading scholar of international and European refugee and migration law, holding chairs at Hertie College and the University of Oxford.

Adam Harris is a founder and the current CEO of AsIAm, Ireland’s Autism charity. He has acted as Vice-Chairperson of Commission’s Disability Advisory Committee; served on the Commission’s Audit and Risk Committee; and represented the Commission at Ireland’s review before the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.  He is also Tánaiste Simon Harris’s brother.

Rosaleen McDonagh is a sitting commissioner applying for reappointment. In her role she has led engagement on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) as chair of IHREC’s Disability Advisory Committee. She has previous experience as an Adjunct Lecturer at Trinity College and a Writer in Residence for Enable Ireland and the Irish Wheelchair Association. 

Patricia Munatsi is a human rights lawyer with experience in policy development, public affairs and strategic advocacy. She is a member of the Government’s Expert Advisory Committee on Racial Equality and Racism, inputting into the National Action Plan against Racism (NAPAR) and advising the Special Rapporteur. 

Rose Wall is a solicitor who has advocated for the protection and promotion of human rights and equality. She is also a founder of Ireland’s Centre for Environmental Justice and has significant board and committee experience in organisations working to advance and protect human rights and equality.