A trio of resignations from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has prompted the Republic's minister for foreign affairs Brian Cowen to raise the matter through the British-Irish Secretariat in Belfast.
The move by Mr Cowen comes a day after commission member Patrick Yu, right, announced his resignation from the body – the third member to do so in 10 months.
Mr Yu, who is executive director of the Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities (Nicem), said he had taken the decision because of "two particular concerns" about the direction of the proposed bill of rights, which he said "undermined the Good Friday Agreement".
Mr Cowen last night said he was "particularly concerned" about Mr Yu's departure, which would "undermine vital community confidence in the ability" of the commission.
The minister has now instructed that the matter be raised "immediately" with the British-Irish Secretariat in Belfast.
"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," Mr Cowen said.
"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 will be raised immediately through the British-Irish Secretariat in Belfast."
