The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (‘the Commission’) has today been granted leave from the High Court to exercise its amicus curiae (‘friend of the court’) function in a significant case focused on redress for survivors of historic child sexual abuse in schools. As amicus curiae in this case [KW v the Minister for Education, the...
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (“the Commission”) has provided legal assistance to a man in a discrimination claim under the Employment Equality Acts. The man commenced employment with the respondent employer over a decade ago and on reaching the age of 66 was made to retire. He had alleged that his contract of...
Significant public investment had protective and stabilising role, study finds, but inequality persists A new study from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (‘the Commission’) and the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), published today, explores the equality impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the labour market, comparing the situation pre- and post-pandemic. Findings...
We have repeatedly called on the State to examine the impact of its COVID-19 response with regard to structurally vulnerable groups. This report provides a meaningful contribution to that evidence-base in the context of the labour market. The evidence demonstrates that employment levels rose for all groups analysed post-pandemic, while unemployment and labour market inactivity...
In this correspondence, IHREC conveys a letter from ENNHRI in which it calls on the Member States to support the proposed EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) in the final stages of its legislative process.
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...
IHREC as Ireland’s National Rapporteur on the Trafficking in Human Beings has contributed to the European Commission 5th Progress Report on the Fight against Trafficking in Human Beings in the European Union. As mandated by the EU Anti-Trafficking Directive, every two years IHREC reports information and data on the progress made by Ireland on 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...