The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has today contacted the Minister for Equality, Immigration, and Integration David Stanton T.D. about the management of a reported COVID-19 outbreak in the Skellig Star Direct Provision centre in Cahersiveen, Co. Kerry. It is reported that the Cahersiveen centre has experienced a serious outbreak of COVID-19 with 23…
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission met on Friday (24th of April) as part of its ongoing consideration of the human rights and equality implications of the COVID 19 crisis. The Commission has previously stated that it believes that emergency actions to protect individual lives and public health during this emergency should be necessary,…
Call for Projects to Promote Access to Rights and Access to Justice Launching today, organisations across Ireland working on issues of human rights and equality are being invited to apply to the Human Rights and Equality Grant Scheme 2020. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (“the Commission”) will award small grants of up to…
Legislative Change Needed to Enforce Equal Pay, and State Must Address High Childcare Costs Blocking Parents from Workplaces The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (“the Commission”) has today recommended to the Citizen Assembly that significant State action is needed to break down barriers to achieving gender equality in Ireland. Among its recommendations, the Commission…
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (‘the Commission’) has today welcomed Government approval for Sinéad Gibney to be proposed for appointment to the role of Chief Commissioner. The announcement comes after Sinead’s selection through an open and transparent competition by the Public Appointment Service (PAS). As set out under the Irish Human Rights and…
Mother is Second Asylum Seeker Subjected to Discrimination in Driver Licence Refusal – Commission Provided Legal Representation to Both. Following a legal challenge by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (“the Commission”) to the discriminatory approach of a drivers licence agency, a second legal ruling in less than a month finds the statutory agency…
Commission Appears as Amicus Curiae The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (‘the Commission’) has today appeared before the Supreme Court as amicus curiae (‘friend of the court’) in two cases involving family reunification for naturalised refugees. The legal submissions presented by the Commission to the Supreme Court, published today, focused on the right to family unity as…
Commission to Exercise Amicus Curiae Role in Court Case The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (‘the Commission’) has today been granted the role of amicus curiae (‘friend of the court’) in a high-profile Supreme Court case (Ali Charaf Damache v the Minister for Justice and Equality) which is to focus on the process under which…
Asylum Seeker Left Disappointed However As State Seeks to Appeal Ruling The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (“the Commission”) has welcomed as significant the decision of the Workplace Relations Commission (“the WRC”) in a case of an asylum seeker who was refused a learner driver licence. The Commission provided legal representation to the man…
Commission Exercised Amicus Role in the Supreme Court The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (“the Commission”) has welcomed today’s significant Supreme Court judgment which sets out how separated parents exercising joint custody of their children should be treated when applying for social housing assistance under the Housing Act 2009. The Supreme Court today ruled…