The Galway Alliance Against War has raised its concerns about the role of US company CACI, which provided interrogators for Abu Ghraib, being involved in the Irish census.
According to the GAAW, CACI’s UK subsidiary tendered and won a CSO contract to assist with the computing of the census information.
“GAAW believes companies that have been linked to human rights abuse and war should be barred from tendering for any contracts in Ireland,” stated Niall Farrell of the GAAW.
Mr Farrell said that under EU directives CACI was entitled to seek the tender. However he said such laws “need to be changed” so that in future public procurement decisions would incorporate human rights principles, which would bar companies with military connections.
“There is something unnerving about allowing a company that had direct links to Abu Ghraib being employed by Ireland’s Central Statistics Office for our census,” he said. “This issue has not been adequately dealt with by the coalition Government.”
