In recent weeks the survivors of Mother and Baby Homes have spoken powerfully of Ireland’s long and dark history of institutional abuse. They have shown the profound suffering this history has wrought throughout the lives of thousands of women and their children – many of whom had also been stigmatised and abused because of the…
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has been designated as Ireland’s Independent National Rapporteur on the Trafficking of Human Beings. To bring this change into effect a Statutory Instrument has been signed by the Minister for Justice confirming the Commission in this new additional role. Article 19 of the EU’s Anti-Trafficking Directive introduces a…
Commission Welcomes Publication of Day Report and is Reviewing Recommendations The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission welcomes the publication of the Dr Catherine Day Report, which brings forward fresh thinking and recommendations on how the State needs to respond directly to the needs of those seeking international protection in Ireland. The Commission will review…
€500,000 Awarded to 42 Projects Nationwide to Promote Access to Rights and Access to Justice The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (“the Commission”) has today announced the 42 organisations to be awarded a total of €500,000 in funding for projects under its Human Rights and Equality Grants Scheme 2020. The wealth of experience and…
Joint Statement from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC), the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) and the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC): The UK Government has committed in the EU withdrawal treaty to ensuring that there will be no diminution in Northern Ireland of the rights, safeguards and equality of opportunity…
Commission as Amicus Curiae Welcomes Court’s Focus on Constitutional Rights The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (‘the Commission’) has today welcomed the Supreme Court ruling in a high-profile Supreme Court case (Ali Charaf Damache v the Minister for Justice and Equality), which focuses on the procedure for the revocation of Irish citizenship. The Commission…
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (the “Commission”) has expressed serious concern at news reports citing further data from the Policing Authority detailing the deployment of Anti-Spit Guards on children and people with mental health issues. The Commission reiterates the need for An Garda Síochána to provide clarity on the use of Anti-Spit Guards…
Commission Members Address Oireachtas Special Committee on Covid-19 Response The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (the Commission) has set out to Oireachtas Members that emergency legislation related to COVID must be used only exceptionally, and must be subjected to strict human rights standards and oversight. Newly appointed Chief Commissioner Sinéad Gibney and Commission Member…
A report to the UN, assessing Ireland’s performance on combatting discrimination against women, has set out that the State has not done enough to discharge its human rights obligations to investigate the situation of women and children who were institutionalised in Magdalene Laundries and those subjected to symphysiotomy. The report also sets out that the…
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has written to new Minister for Justice and Equality, Helen McEntee TD to voice its ongoing concerns for the safety and well-being of people in the Direct Provision system around COVID-19. In the wake of recent COVID-19 clusters affecting some centres, the Commission has asked the Minister to…