About ERA

Equality & Rights Alliance (ERA) is a newly-formed coalition of over 40 civil society groups seeking to ensure the promotion and enhancement of human rights, equality and social justice in Ireland. The Alliance is chaired by Joanna McMinn, Director of the National Women’s Council of Ireland.

ERA formed in response to the Government’s proposal to merge the Equality Authority, the Equality Tribunal, the National Disability Authority, the Data Protection Commissioner and the Irish Human Rights Commission.

ERA believes that this move will diminish the ability of these agencies to do the jobs they have been doing well. And this will affect everyone. Not just a few. We can’t afford cutbacks in the protection of the rights of the most vulnerable in society. The members of ERA represent older people, women, families, children, people with disabilities, carers, immigrants, workers, gay, lesbian and bisexual people, Travellers and many others who have been deprived of the benefits of Ireland’s economic boom. In these changed times, it is fundamentally wrong that they should be the first to suffer. ERA will set out the organisational, legislative, and most importantly, human costs of cutting back on the protection of rights.

ERA believes that five into one won’t go.