Lack of accountability and transparency in Garda activity and the treatment of asylum seekers here are among the concerns raised by Amnesty International in its annual report.
The report, published in 150 countries yesterday, also reiterates the international human rights charity's disappointment at being refused access to Irish prisons to investigate racism.
Mr Colm O Cuanacháin, Secretary General of Amnesty's Irish section, described the decision of the Department of Justice to refuse entrance to Irish detention centres as "most surprising". He said it was "almost unheard of for Amnesty to be refused" access to institutions or organisations by a Western government.
Although Amnesty had not had specific reports of racism in Irish prisons, he added, there was a "general sense that there were issues and indications that they needed to be researched".
The report says concern about racist violence and harassment of ethnic minorities remained as well as concern about "the inadequacy of legislation in this area".
"The ongoing delays in reviewing the Incitement to Hatred Act and the lack of an independent monitoring body to investigate racism and discrimination in our society is also condemned in our report," said Mr O Cuanacháin.
The report further castigates the Government here for its failure to incorporate the European Convention on Human rights into Irish law and also for beginning to detain asylum seekers in 2002 under the Refugee Act 1996. "The Garda Síochána detained large numbers of rejected asylum seekers in July and the government announced plans to increase forcible deportations," it says.
Its largest section in the chapter on Ireland is devoted to concerns about policing.
It reports on the Morris Tribunal into alleged misconduct by Garda in Donegal and says Amnesty had called for full legal aid to be granted to the McBrearty family "whose allegations of misconduct were central to the Tribunal's investigation". Legal aid was refused to the family.
The report expresses Amnesty's disquiet at the conduct of Garda at the Reclaim the Street demonstration in May last year and allegations that the Garda had prior knowledge of the 1998 Omagh bombing.
Concern is again expressed about the treatment of people with mental health problems in prisons. Mr O Cuanacháin said drawing attention to the "hidden" crises, and protecting the rights of forgotten victims was the "biggest challenge we face today".
"Ireland is firmly under the spotlight in this report as failures in the provision of mental health care, Garda accountability, immigration and racism are highlighted." He expressed concern about the human rights impact of hugely heightened international security and moves to "clampdown" on terrorism across the world since September 11th 2001.
"It is vital," he said, "that we resist the manipulation of fear and challenge the narrow focus of of the security agenda. The definition of security must be broadened to encompass the security of people as well as states."
