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…
Michael Mc Dowell T.D., Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform will today launch the 2005 Annual Report of the Equality Authority. During 2005 the Equality Authority assisted the CSO in developing a special survey on equality. This found that for the population aged 18 years and over that 12.5% had experienced discrimination within the…
The Human Rights Commission warmly welcomes the initiative of An Garda Síochána and Crimestoppers in highlighting the incidence of human trafficking in Ireland and alerting us to the potential for such abuse to increase. "Trafficking in human beings constitutes one of the most severe violations of human rights in the world today. It has been…
"Wilful blindness on the part of states to the ultimate purpose of extra-ordinary renditions is unacceptable. The focus on this matter must be on the purpose of renditions. Where there is a risk of torture, there shouldn’t be any resort to diplomatic assurances" stated Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at a…
The Irish Human Rights Commission (IHRC) has forwarded to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, its observations and proposals for amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill 2004 (Youth Justice) which the Minister referred to the IHRC for its comments. This set of proposals would substantially amend the Children Act 2001. The IHRC has…
Michael Mc Dowell TD, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, today launched the Strategic Plan of the Equality Authority for 2006 to 2008. The Plan is entitled ‘Embedding Equality’. It defines a mission for the Equality Authority as seeking ‘to achieve positive change in the situation and experience of those groups and individuals experiencing…
A research report on “Equivalence in Promoting Equality – The Implications of the Multi-Party Agreement for the further Development of Equality Measures for Northern Ireland” was launched today in the Equality Authority. The research project is a joint initiative of the Equality Authority and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland. The research was carried out…
The Equality Authority was today given leave to appear as amicus curiae (friend of the Court) in High Court proceedings being brought by a Traveller family against Ballina Town Council, Mayo County Council, the Commissioner of An Garda Síochana, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the District Justice sitting in Ballina Court and Ireland and the…