Ireland’s human rights and equality norms are critical to sustainable and effective recovery in relation to COVID.
The State is legally bound to respect, protect and fulfil its human rights
commitments and has specific obligations under Irish
equality legislation, as an employer and as a service
provider.
These obligations apply both in normal times
and emergency times. The Public Sector Equality and
Human Rights Duty is part of the legislative framework
governing human rights and equality in Ireland.3 It can
assist public bodies in adhering to human rights and
equality standards in a systematic way in their daily work.