Publications
The Commission welcomes the opportunity to provide the Joint Committee on Children, Disability, Equality and Integration with its submission on the General Scheme of a Certain Institutional Burials (Authorised Interventions) Bill (the ‘General Scheme’). The Commission has previously raised concerns about the human rights and equality issues arising in connection to this piece of legislation….
The Commission welcomes the opportunity to provide the Committee on Justice with submissions on the Dying with Dignity Bill 2020 which it hopes will assist the Committee in its scrutiny of the Bill. The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is both the national human rights institution and the national equality body for Ireland, established…
Outline submissions in respect of the final orders of the Supreme Court in the case of Ali Charaf Damache v the Minister for Justice and Equality. In October 2020, the Court ruled on the high-profile Supreme Court case Ali Charaf Damache v the Minister for Justice and Equality. The case examined the lawfulness of the…
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (‘the Commission’) exercised its amicus curiae (‘friend of the court’) function in an important case (In the Matter of JJ ) about medical treatment, the rights of the child and the rights of minor wards of court.
IHREC White Paper Submission Direct Provision
Consultation on Terms of Reference and Work Programme for the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters – November 2020 On the day that our Chief Commissioner and Commission Member Dr. Rosaleen McDonagh appear before the Joint Committee on Disability Matters, the Commission welcomes the opportunity to contribute through this written submission to the development of…
The Irish Human rights and Equality Commission’s recommendations to Government on the review of the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions and Certain Disclosure) Act 2016, published 9th November 2020.
A Guide the Employment Equality Acts
IHREC Equal Status Rights Leaflet
On the 27th August 2020, the Commission wrote to the Assistant Commissioner Dublin Metropolitan Region on the Use of Anti-Spit Guards by An Garda Síochána.
Ahead of our appearance before the Oireachtas Committee on 9 September 2020, the Commission made a written submission on the legislative framework around our COVID-19 response. Under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, the Commission is mandated to keep under review the adequacy and effectiveness of law and practice in the State…
The Commission previously made a submission to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women in January 2017, in respect of Ireland’s combined sixth and seventh periodic reports under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). In its 2017 Concluding Observations, the Committee requested that the Government…
Submission to UN HR Committee on the LOIPR on Ireland’s 5th periodic examination
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…
New research published today reveals the gap between what people say in public about their attitudes to minorities in Ireland, and what they say when afforded anonymity. The study challenges previous assumptions about people’s views, and has implications for policy approaches to foster interculturalism. This study published by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission …
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission was invited to contribute to a high-level strategi consultation process led by EU Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová, Values and Transparency, and EU Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli, hosted by the European Commission on 20th July. Below is the opening statement delivered by Commission Member Colm O’Dwyer to that consultation….
Submission to the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response on the ‘Overview of health system capacity for non-Covid Healthcare’. In planning for the reopening of non-Covid health and related services, the Commission believes that it is essential that an explicit human rights and equality-based approach be adopted. Our brief submission on this matter outlines for the…
The Commission was invited to address the Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 Response Dr. Frank Conaty, Acting Chief Commissioner and Commission Member Professor Caroline Fennell addressed the committee in person on Friday 17 July 2020. Ahead of the Committee meeting the Commission made the following written submission focused on the Impact of COVID-19 on People…