Síle de Valera TD, Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science today launched an initiative on homophobic bullying in schools. The initiative has been developed by the Equality Authority and BeLonG To, a youth project for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people. Under the initiative posters are to be distributed to…
Saturday 14th October 2006. Achieving Rights Based Child Law is the theme of tomorrow’s public conference organised by the Irish Human Rights Commission and the Law Society of Ireland in association with the Ombudsman for Children. Speaking on the rationale for the conference, President of the Law Society, Michael Irvine, noted the significant administrative changes…
Government Decision to Pay Adult Dependent Allowance in Respect of Same-Sex Partner of terminally ill Gay Man The Equality Authority has welcomed the satisfactory outcome of a case under the Equal Status Acts in relation to the treatment of a same sex couple by the Department of Social and Family Affairs. The case was being…
The Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has been elected chair of the European Group of National Human Rights Institutions for the next two years, the first time Ireland has received this honour. The Commission was elected into this role at the European Co-ordinating Committee meeting on Friday (September 29th) in Athens. President of the IHRC,…
Observations on the Scheme of the Coroners Bill submitted to Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The IHRC submitted its observations on the Scheme of the Coroners Bill to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform on Wednesday, 20th September, 2006. The Scheme of the Bill had been forwarded by the Minister to…
The Irish Human Rights Commission was invited to address Iraqi parliamentarians at a Human Rights Workshop aimed at providing models of good practice for human rights institutions and practice in Iraq. The workshop, which concludes today, is organised jointly by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Assistance Mission for…
“I wish to pay tribute to all Commissioners who have served with such commitment and diligence on the first board of the Irish Human Rights Commission" stated the President of the IHRC, Dr. Maurice Manning, today marking the end of the first 5-year term of the Commission. “Fourteen Commissioners were appointed in July 2001 amidst…
In a case involving a wheelchair user denied access to toilet facilities, the Equality Authority today welcomed a consent Order made by Judge O’Donnell of the District Court that Searson’s Pub Baggot Street, discriminated against a customer with a disability. Searson’s undertook as part of the Order to provide wheelchair accessible toilets in accordance with…
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE IRISH HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, DR. MAURICE MANNING, ON THE REPORT OF SENATOR DICK MARTY, RAPPORTEUR TO THE COMMITTEE ON LEGAL AFFAIRS AND HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE The report of Senator Marty is persuasive if not conclusive, and gives credence to the concerns already raised by the…
The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform was today presented with a research report commissioned by the Irish Human Rights Commission on the rights of same-sex and opposite-sex cohabiting couples. The report entitled The Rights of de facto Couples was written by Judy Walsh and Fergus Ryan and outlines the international human rights standards…