Student with visual impairment secures greater digitisation of State examinations A successful legal challenge that was assisted by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (‘the Commission’) has resulted in a significant expansion of the examinations scheme, the Commission today announced. This includes an expansion of accommodations available for Leaving Certificate as well as the…
The European Committee of Social Rights raises ongoing concern with the State on Traveller accommodation, social housing, and collective bargaining rights The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (“the Commission”) today welcomed the publication of the European Committee of Social Rights’ (“the ECSR”) ‘Findings of 2023’. The report assessed Ireland’s follow-up actions in response to…
Scheme must include everyone who spent time in Mother and Baby Institutions As the payment scheme for survivors of the mother and baby institutions opens today (see the Scheme’s homepage here), the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission welcomed the Scheme, but reiterated a number of recommendations that would improve the compliance of the Act…
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (“the Commission”) has provided legal assistance to a woman who referred a complaint of victimisation against a former employer to the Workplace Relations Commission (“WRC”). The woman alleged that, following a complaint of sexual harassment she made against the director of her former employer, the institution stopped engaging…
€350,000 National Programme Calls for Projects to Advance Economic Equality, Promote Climate Justice, Environmental Justice, and a Just Transition, and Promote Awareness of Rights and Access to Justice The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission is inviting civil society organisations and groups across Ireland working on human rights and equality issues to apply for support for projects…
Committee also notes concern over Ireland’s growing income disparities The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (‘The Commission’) welcomes the comments and recommendations to Ireland, published by a United Nations Committee yesterday. In its Concluding Observations, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights raised its concerns across several key areas in which Ireland is falling…
On her last day in the role, the Commission would like to sincerely thank Sinéad Gibney for her dedication during four years as Chief Commissioner, and her contribution to the work of IHREC. Recruitment for a new Chief Commissioner will follow in due course, in line with international standards for an open and transparent selection…
The Commission welcomes Gymnastics Ireland agreement to undertake Equality Review The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (the ‘Commission’) announced today that it has used its legal powers, under Section 32(1)(a) of the 2014 IHREC Act, to invite Gymnastics Ireland to carry out an equality review of its services, and that Gymnastics Ireland has accepted…
IHREC raises significant barriers to economic, social and cultural rights with UN In a private meeting with the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission expressed our concerns about the overall trajectory of ESC rights in Ireland, in the decade since Ireland was last examined, under the…
State must move away from viewing rights as charitable, discretionary and commodities, and progress a rights-based model A paradigm shift is needed in the State’s approach to economic, social and cultural rights (’ESC rights’) if it is to eradicate poverty, build up public service provision, and better respond to the needs of structurally vulnerable communities,…