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Yet nearly half are unaware that Brexit risks causing a divergence in the level of human rights and equality protections between NI and ROI

73% of respondents to a new public awareness survey agree on the importance of there being equivalent equality and human rights protections between Northern Ireland and Ireland, post-Brexit.  Carried out in Ireland on behalf of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, (‘the Commission’), the poll shows strong support for action, finding two in three (67%) agree (35%) or strongly agree (32%) that more needs to be done to harmonise equality and rights protections across the Island of Ireland. Before Brexit, many EU laws were automatically applicable in Northern Ireland, the rest of the UK and Ireland. This helped ensure alignment of equality and human rights laws across the island of Ireland. While the previous UK Government made a commitment, in Article 2 of the Windsor Framework, that certain equality rights protections in place in Northern Ireland will not be reduced now that the UK has left the EU, there is concern that not all of Northern Ireland’s equality rights laws will keep pace with future EU equality law changes. In our poll, one in five overall believe their rights have reduced as a result of Brexit. There are differing opinions between younger and older generations, with those aged 25-34 years most likely to express a concern that their rights have been reduced, while those aged 65 years and over are most likely to think their rights have been unaffected. Over one in three overall are concerned their rights may be affected in the future. Irish Human Rights and Equality Commissioner Dr Lucy Michael said,
“Equality and human rights protections are central to the Good Friday Agreement and peace on our island.   Our poll shows that people in Ireland recognise this, with most believing we need to do more to ensure an equivalence of equality and human rights protections across the island.  Given this strong support for action, we reiterate our recommendation that the Irish Government, NI Executive, and UK Government work to enhance and harmonise equality and human rights protections on the island of Ireland, aligned to their respective remits, and make a clear commitment to working towards ensuring North-South equivalence of rights on the island of Ireland so as to strengthen protections.  Meanwhile, we continue to work together with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) in discharging our mandates to promote and protect human rights and equality for everyone on the island of Ireland.”
  ENDS/ For further information, please contact: Sarah Clarkin, IHREC Communications Manager, 01 852 9641 / 087 468 7760 sarah.clarkin@ihrec.ie Follow us on twitter @_IHREC

Notes for Editors:

Overview of the Commission The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) is an independent public body, appointed by the President of Ireland and directly accountable to the Oireachtas. The Commission has a statutory remit set out under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act (2014) to protect and promote human rights and equality in Ireland, and build a culture of respect for human rights, equality and intercultural understanding in the State. It is Ireland’s national human rights institution and is also the national equality body for the purpose of a range of EU anti-discrimination measures. It is accredited as an ‘A-Status’ National Human Rights Institution by the United Nations. Article 2 Windsor Framework The UK Government has made a commitment, in Article 2 of the Windsor Framework (formerly the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland), that certain rights protections in place in Northern Ireland will not be reduced now that the UK has left the EU. Schedule 3 of the UK’s European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 confers new functions on both the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) to act as part of the ‘dedicated mechanism’ to monitor, advise, report on and enforce the UK’s adherence to its Article 2 commitment. NIHRC, ECNI and IHREC work together to provide oversight of, and reporting on, rights and equalities issues falling within the scope of the commitment that have an island of Ireland dimension.