Publications

Recommendations on the Review of the Equality Acts

In June 2021, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth announced a review of the Equality Acts, including the Equal Status Acts 2000-2018  and the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015. In our role as Ireland’s National Equality Body ,The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission welcomes the opportunity to make this initial submission on the…

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission(‘the Commission’)is both the “A”status National Human Rights Institution(‘NHRI’)and the National Equality Body for Ireland under EU equality legislation,This submission provides the Committee with key issues identified by the Commission to inform its preparation of the List of Issues for Ireland, due to be adopted by the Committee at…

As Ireland’s national human rights and equality body, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission carried out this survey as part of its mandate to protect and promote human rights and equality in Ireland.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in December 2021  has told the Council of Europe’s highest body, its Council of Ministers, that a new State Redress scheme designed to meet obligations to survivors of abuse in schools has a number of significant flaws, which mean it continues to fail survivors seven years after the…

Bernard McDonagh and Helen McDonagh v Clare County Council

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has argued before the Supreme Court as amicus curiae (‘friend of the court’) that Clare County Council failed in its statutory obligations to properly and proportionately assess the rights of a Traveller family before moving to evict them from a site in the county, in the case of Bernard…

The Commission has a mandate to keep under review the adequacy and effectiveness of law and practice in the State relating to the protection of human rights and equality and to examine any legislative proposal and report its views on any implications for human rights or, equality. We have used this power in examining the General…

As the Review of the Equality Acts continues, Equality ACTion (a joint project of IHREC and FLAC) want to bring your attention to some useful resources for those who are engaging with the Review. The deadline for submissions to the Review of the Equality Acts has been extended. Submissions must now be made by Wednesday,…

Amicus Curiae submissions made by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission to the High Court in the separate cases of: PHILOMENA LEE v. THE MINISTER FOR CHILDREN, EQUALITY, DISABILITY, INTEGRATION AND YOUTH and MARY HARNEY v. THE MINISTER FOR CHILDREN, EQUALITY, DISABILITY, INTEGRATION AND YOUTH.  

The Commission was recently granted liberty to intervene before the European Court of Human Rights in a case, Faulkner v Ireland,application no. 30391/18, ECtHR (“Faulkner”), and it filed a submission on the 8th February 2021 with the European Court of Human Rights. The Commission also furnished the Court with replying submissions on the 30th April…

Director of Public Prosecutions v. JD.

The submissions filed by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission in its function as amicus curiae in the case of Director of Public Prosecutions v. JD. JD Supreme Court Amicus Curiae – Filed Submissions IHREC