Calls for equality chief to resign over MEP talks
SINÉAD Gibney is facing calls to resign from her job as Chief Human Rights and Equality Commissioner immediately, because of her ties to the Social Democrats.
Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher has called on Ms Gibney – head of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) – to resign immediately after it was revealed she was in talks with the Social Democrats about running for the European Parliament as long ago as last September.
The IHREC announced last month that Ms Gibney ‘intends to resign’ in March because she is putting herself forward to represent the party in the Dublin constituency in the European election.
A spokeswoman for the IHREC said Ms Gibney has ‘stepped back’ from the public elements of the job ahead of her resignation.
While Ms Gibney will still have to contest the party’s selection convention for the seat, the spokeswoman said she informed the IHREC that ‘a series of informal discussions began with two members of the Social Democrats’ parliamentary party in September of last year’.
At the same time as she was in talks with the Social Democrats, she sought to address other parliamentary parties in Leinster House in her role as commissioner.
Mr Kelleher, who is running in the upcoming election for Europe, told the Mail: ‘I have no difficulties with the Chief Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission coming in and engaging with the political process, but the fact is that at the same time... she was in discussions with a political party.
‘Clearly, the integrity, the independence and the non-biased position of the civil service and the broader public administration is critically important to a functioning democracy, and I never want to put obstacles in front of anybody that wants to stand for public office, but there are clear lines of demarcation. If they’re in a position where there is a potential conflict, well, then they have to step aside,’ he added.
Mr Kelleher said these are questions for Ms Gibney, but she did not respond to a request for comment from the Irish Daily Mail.
Ms Gibney was a general election candidate for the Social Democrats in Dún Laoghaire in 2020 but she withdrew from the ticket when she got the job of Chief Commissioner.