Publications

This is an additional submission, by the Commission, to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (‘the Committee’), in advance of the review of Ireland’s combined fifth and sixth periodic reports during the 92nd session in January 2023. The purpose of this submission is to update the Committee on relevant factual information and developments…

In October 2020, the Commission was designated as Ireland’s Independent National Rapporteur on the Trafficking of Human Beings. This accords with the obligation set forth in Article 19 of the EU’s Anti-Trafficking Directive that introduced a legally binding requirement for all EU Member States to establish National Rapporteurs or equivalent mechanisms. The development of a…

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (‘the Commissions’) have published their Annual Joint Report, their first since the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union. Download report here: Equality and rights on the island of Ireland after Brexit Equality and…

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (‘the Commission’) has argued before the High Court that a State requirement for survivors of historic sexual abuses in schools to have taken legal proceedings against the State before 1 July 2021 – proceedings that, would be doomed to fail — “is indefensible.” The Commission is amicus curiae…

Middlekamp and Minister for Justice

The legal submission made by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission to the Supreme Court in its amicus curiae role is available below.  

The Commission welcomes the opportunity to provide its submission on the General Scheme of a Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme Bill. The Commission recognises the diversity of women and children affected by their experiences within Mother and Baby Homes and related institutions including married women, unmarried women, Traveller women and children, disabled women and…

The Commission welcomes the opportunity to provide the Minister for Health with its submission on the General Scheme of the Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services (Safe Access Zones)) Bill 2022. The Commission acknowledges the complexity of the sensitive issues being considered by the Minister in respect of this legislation. In particular the Commission acknowledges that…

Submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child on Ireland’s combined fifth and sixth periodic reports from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission – August 2022    

In February 2022, the Government of Ireland submitted its 19th National Report to the European Committee of Social Rights (‘the Committee’) on the implementation of the Revised European Social Charter (‘the Charter’).9 This National Report is focused on the accepted provisions in thematic group three, ‘Labour Rights’ for the reference period 1 January 2017 to…

Annual Report 2021

                Download Accessible word version of Annual Report 2021

Evaluation of the Implementation of the EU Anti-Trafficking Directive Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission – June 2022 The Commission, as independent Rapporteur on trafficking , is delighted to bring the first Evaluation of the Implementation of the EU Anti-Trafficking Directive report on the States’ actions to combat human trafficking. With this new function, the…

Ireland and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights The purpose of this parallel report on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to the UN Human Rights Committee is to update the Committee on relevant developments since the adoption of its List of Issues on Ireland in January 2021. It follows…