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Welcome,
In this issue of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission newsletter, we bring you the latest news from the Commission, together with useful resources and information on significant human rights and equality issues in Ireland.
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Time spent on care and unpaid work in Ireland is 3rd highest in EU
Ireland has the third highest weekly hours of caring and unpaid work for both men and women across the EU 28 according to new research entitled “Caring and Unpaid Work in Ireland”, published by the Commission and the Economic and Social Research Institute.
The report examines Irish data collected over more than a decade to investigate involvement in unpaid work in the areas of childcare, care of older adults or those with a disability, and housework. It also looks at how people’s involvement has changed over time, and how Ireland compares to other EU member states.
The report was launched by the Commission and the ESRI with the participation of broadcaster Brendan Courtney who has spoken of his personal experiences of care related to his parents, and by Bernie Bradley who, alongside being a full-time Social Inclusion Officer with Monaghan County Council, is a member of the Commission’s Disability Advisory Committee and a parent of a daughter with Down Syndrome.
Resources Report - Caring and unpaid work in Ireland
Related media RTÉ Sean O'Rourke - interview with Brendan Courtney and Bernie Bradley Irish Examiner editorial Irish Times article Irish Independent article Commission media release
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Commission appears before Supreme Court in right to fair trial case
The Commission has appeared before the Supreme Court as amicus curiae in an internationally significant case relating to the European Arrest Warrant system and the right to a fair trial. The case (Artur Celmer v. Minister for Justice and Equality) had been appealed directly from the High Court to the Supreme Court as it is of significant public importance. It centres on the requested extradition of Mr. Artur Celmer, a Polish national, to Poland under the European Arrest Warrant system, where concerns have been raised by Mr. Celmer over the impact of recent legislative changes in Poland on the independence of the judiciary, the courts and the Public Prosecutor. These changes, according to Mr. Celmer, undermine the possibility of him receiving a fair trial. Resources Commission submissionsRelated media Commission media release
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Commission granted amicus role in two Supreme Court cases
The Commission has been granted liberty by the Supreme Court to exercise its amicus curiae function in a case exploring how separated parents exercising joint custody of their children are treated when applying for housing assistance payment (HAP) under the Housing Act 2009.
The case (Fagan v. Dublin City Council) centres on a separated father of three children, Mr. Fagan who sought HAP assistance to accommodate himself and his children. The Council assessed him as a one-person household for the purposes of the Housing Act, notwithstanding his three-night per week custody and co-parenting rights to his children, and so regarded Mr. Fagan’s need as being for a single bedroom unit.
In November 2018, the High Court backed Dublin City Council’s decision but permission to appeal to the Supreme court was granted to Mr Fagan and his children in April 2019.
In a separate case, the Commission was also granted liberty from the Supreme Court to exercise its amicus curiae function in a case focused on marriage and family rights. The case (MKFS v. the Minister for Justice and Equality) is expected to clarify whether a marriage contracted under the Civil Registration Act 2014 is valid where the Minister for Justice considers it to have been contracted for the purpose of obtaining EU law entitlements. Related media Commission media release (Fagan v. Dublin City Council) Commission media release (MKFS v. the Minister for Justice and Equality) Irish Legal News article
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UN High Commissioner for Refugees speaks at Commission event during State visit
During a two-day state visit to Ireland, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Mr Filippo Grandi spoke at a public event co-hosted by the Commission and the UNHCR. At the event, the High Commissioner discussed the protection and promotion of the rights of refugees in Ireland and launched UNHCR Ireland's Refugee Employment Toolkit, which aims to help businesses in Ireland employ refugees and asylum seekers.
During his visit, Rohingya refugee Jamalida Rafique (11) presented Mr. Grandi with a letter seeking assistance for children living in refugee camps in Bangladesh’s southern Cox’s Bazar district, where she lived before her resettlement to Ireland, and around the world. Yemeni refugee Hamoud Althobani also spoke of his journey from conflict in Yemen to studying, working and playing football in Ireland over the past years. Resources UNHCR Ireland's Refugee Employment Toolkit Related media Irish Times image of day Irish Times article
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Disability Rights: #AllHuman #AllEqual campaign making waves
The Commission's national awareness campaign “Because we’re all human. Means we’re all equal.” challenges societal and individual attitudes that limit people with disabilities’ participation in everyday life. Running across cinema, radio and online over the summer, the campaign features 13 interviews with people from across Irish society, sharing personal perspectives on everyday life and some of the barriers encountered when living with autism, an intellectual disability or complex needs; being visually-impaired or blind, hard of hearing or Deaf; and having a physical disability or being affected by mental ill-health.
Follow the campaign on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtags #allhuman #allequal. Resources Campaign website Participant videos Radio advert feat. voice of Dr. Rosaleen McDonagh
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