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AN OIREACHTAS COMMITTEE report has recommended that the Government devise a strategy to address the premature release of information into the media.
The Joint Committee on Justice released its report ‘Civil Liberties during the Covid-19 Pandemic’ today, putting forward a series of recommendations to the Minister based on stakeholder engagement held on 22 June.
“The Committee was pleased to facilitate an examination on the topic,” Committee Cathaoirleach James Lawless said.
“In acknowledging the unforeseen impact of the pandemic and the need to introduce restrictions for the protection of public health, the Committee are cognizant of the unprecedented scale of restrictions placed on the public and of the immensely challenging situation facing countries and people on a global scale to try and contain the spread of the pandemic,” Lawless said.
“In reaching out to stakeholders to gain diverse perspectives on the curtailment of civil liberties during the pandemic, the written submissions and witnesses provided the Committee with an insight into several areas where they deemed it was most important to reflect on the approach to policing and governing the pandemic,” he said.
“The Committee has made a number of recommendations … it is hoped that these will receive due consideration.”
Recommendations
The Committee recommended that the use of individual discretion by members of An Garda Síochána when policing public health regulations ought to be supported by clear messaging from Government, to ensure that this discretion is applied appropriately, fairly and equitably.
It recommended the diversification of channels through which the Government communicates with the wider public, to ensure that minority groups have access to accurate information which has been adapted to best meet their individual needs.
The Committee also recommended that the Government devise a strategy to address the premature release of information into the media, along with tackling the issue of disinformation in media and online, to ensure that the wider public receives information which is accurate, reliable, and attributable to the relevant decision-making structures.
It was recommended that a regular human rights impact assessment on the impact of the emergency situation and restrictions on at-risk groups be carried out in order to ensure Government takes appropriate and sufficient measures to mitigate negative impacts.
Gardaí
The Committee recommended that the Garda Commissioner collects and disseminates comprehensive, detailed and disaggregated data regarding the exercising of all Covid-19 related enforcement powers by An Garda Síochána. This is being recommended to ensure that their actions in this regard are compliant with Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014.
In relation to policing, it also recommended that the office of the Garda Commissioner release data relating to the geographical spread of Covid-19 checkpoints, to ascertain the extent to which particular towns and regions are policed more frequently than others.
The Committee recommended that An Garda Síochána provide data on the use of ‘anti-spit hoods’ during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Additionally, the use of ‘anti-spit hoods’ by An Garda Síochána ought to be reviewed, both in the context of policing during public health emergencies and beyond, due to concerns regarding the implications of their use on individual human rights and dignities,” the Committee said.
The Committee has welcomed the introduction of Operation Faoiseamh and the potential for this approach to become a feature of policing regarding incidences of domestic violence.
It is recommended that a review be undertaken of this operation in terms of its effectiveness and that the potential for it to be retained in future be assessed.
The Committee also recommended that, in the event of future restrictions on public gatherings, specific guidance is issued, for both the public and An Garda Síochána, regarding the management of protests and the implications for the fundamental rights of individuals to gather in this way.
The full Committee report can be read here.
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My daughter is a social care worker with adults with learning difficulties & in her place of work they still haven’t been tested. All these adults are all live in house’s where she works.
I’d like to see some up to date reports of testing figures. This article quotes 188,837 from last Saturday, even though a figure of 214,761 has been published since then. What is the current figure for community testing?
It is right we test the people in Direct Provision as a priority because they have suffered enough after fleeing war torn countries.
@Frances Faller: nobody should be a priority in this. Everybody needs to be treated the same. Nobody’s health is more or less important than anyone else, does not matter where they came from
@Frances Faller: This is a common misconception. One can claim asylum under many different categories including sexual orientatation
@Ali Ní Dhomhnaill: maybe not a priority but their pleas shouldn’t be falling on deaf ears for weeks now. Money talks – FG don’t want to challenge those making a fortune out it direct provision to implement social distancing.
Also the Irish public just doesn’t care.
@Ali Ní Dhomhnaill: not true. Not everyone has the luxury of isolating themselves. People in direct provision and nursing homes are by default in environments where it’s difficult to isolate and where the virus is more easily transmitted. Tackling these outbreaks helps to eradicate the virus for everyone.
@Frances Faller: but what to do with the with people in direct provision that are making a mockery of the asylum process Pamela Izevbekhai springs to mind, cost the state half a millon Euro.There is no war in Albania, Moldova,Nigeria,Zimbabwe,Pakistan and Bangladesh to name but a few.
@JJandtim Dwyer: The Irish went all over the world and was treated very well and a lot became millionaires. All the refugees want is the same chance.
@Frances Faller: no problem with people coming from war torn countries, but as a certain Judge who is an expert on the topic,stated that 95% of asylum seekers are not telling the truth on why they came to Ireland, but in fact they come for work/migration
@Frances Faller: you are terrible at trolling
@Frances Faller: Have absolutely no problem with people coming here from a war torn country, its their right to seek shelter from tyranny,but I will not be made a fool of by those that spin the most outrageous yarns to gain access to my country.
I am sick to death of this comparison of , The Irish went all over the world , of course they did as they had their land was confiscated and their crops stolen , and were transported for stealing a loaf of bread, They built countries infrastructure , railways , highways, Dams and broke their backs doing it and never requested a nice hotel in the city.with 3 meals a day and weekly payment.
Their is nothing free in this world we al have to do our bit there is no such thing as a free lunch.
@JJandtim Dwyer: Well said. That horse that is usually trotted out about the Irish going “all over the world” when really it was to anglophone countries in the vast majority of cases, and as you rightly point out – it was sink or swim for those Irish souls.
Deport.
Why were they tested? Were they in at risk categories?
The Irish went all over the world and were treated well?? It’s for exactly the opposite reason we should have empathy with asylum seekers ‘ no dogs and no Irish ‘
have your say