Statement by Minister Cowen on resignation of Mr. Patrick Yu from NIHRC
08/07/2003
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Brian Cowen, T.D., has expressed his serious concern at the resignation of Mr. Patrick Yu from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, which follows on the resignation of three previous members. The Minister said:
“I was particularly concerned by Mr. Yu's stated grounds of resignation which appear to have troubling implications for specific equality and rights aspects of the Good Friday Agreement. Taken together with the previous resignations, Mr. Yu's departure will undermine vital community confidence in the ability of the Human Rights Commission to protect and advance human rights, a central and critical part of the Good Friday Agreement. This serious development must now be addressed. I have instructed that the matter be raised immediately through the British-Irish Secretariat in Belfast.”
