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Welcome,


At this moment of extraordinary challenge, and extraordinary vulnerability for so many, it remains essential, and is in the public interest, that human rights and equality norms are upheld to the greatest extent possible.

So reads the Commission's letter to An Taoiseach on the unprecedented public health emergency caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

While events in our public space have been postponed until at least 30 April, we are continuing to fulfil our mandate during this period of national emergency.

We are pleased to announce the launch of two new research reports from the Joint Committee of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. The reports explore citizenship and nationality issues which do not sit consistently with the identity provision of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

In response to Covid-19 we are extending the deadline for the Human Rights and Equality Grants Scheme 2020-21 to a new date of Tuesday 19 May at 4pm. We are accepting applications from civil society organisations to support activities in Ireland that promote access to justice for people who face the greatest barriers to accessing their rights.

The Commission also submitted recommendations to the Citizen Assembly on Gender Equality, urging significant State action to break down barriers to achieving gender equality in Ireland.

Finally, we've highlighted below a number of resources for people at home to find out more about human rights and equality issues in Ireland.

Read on for the latest on our work for a just and inclusive Ireland. 
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COVID-19

Letter to an Taoiseach on COVID-19 pandemic

The Commission has written to An Taoiseach in recognition of the unprecedented public health emergency caused by the Covid-19 pandemic urging human rights and equality norms to be upheld to the greatest extent possible. 

The Commission recognises that it can be necessary to take exceptional measures such as the Health Act 2020 in order to safeguard the health of the community and the lives of individuals. However, such emergency measures have the potential to curtail fundamental rights and freedoms.

The Commission is ready to provide advice to Government regarding the content of these Regulations.
 
“
At this moment of extraordinary challenge, and extraordinary vulnerability for so many, it remains essential, and remains in the public interest, that human rights and norms are upheld to the greatest extent possible.

Professor Caroline Fennell, Acting Chief Commissioner
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Joint Committee

New research on citizenship rights after Brexit

The implications of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union has thrown the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement principles into sharp relief.
 
Under the Agreement, the people of Northern Ireland are entitled to identify themselves and be accepted as Irish or British or both.
 
Two new reports, published by the Joint Committee of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, explore citizenship and nationality issues which do not sit consistently with the identity provision of the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.
 
The first paper provides a legal analysis of incorporating into UK immigration and nationality law the birthright identity commitment contained within the 1998 Agreement.
 
The second paper explores EU citizenship and what it means in practice in the context of the commitment within the Withdrawal Agreement to provide people of Northern Ireland who identify as Irish to retain rights under EU law.
“
These two papers set out important issues still to be resolved as a result of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. The UK government acknowledged over a decade ago the need to enshrine the identity/birthright provisions into law in the response to the Commission’s advice to a Bill of Rights. The issue still has not been fixed.

Les Allamby, Chief Commissioner, Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission
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Grant Scheme
Deadline for applications extended for the Human Rights and Equality Grant Scheme 2020 
The Commission has extended the deadline for applications to our Human Rights and Equality Grants Scheme 2020 until Tuesday 19 May at 4pm. We hope that this additional time will allow for projects to put their best application forward. 

Through its grant scheme, the Commission will award small grants of up to €6,000 and general grants of up to €20,000 to support activities in Ireland that promote access to justice for people who face the greatest barriers to accessing their rights.

Now in its fifth year, grants are open to civil society organisations, rights-holder and community led groups, and trade unions from across the country, who can bring forward proposals on empowering people to understand and claim their rights.

Since its grant scheme was established in 2016, the Commission has supported over 100 human rights and equality projects across Ireland, including research programmes, training or resource activities, conferences or events and cultural initiatives. Any queries on the 2020-21 Human Rights and Equality Grants Scheme should be directed to grants@ihrec.ie

Full details of the grant scheme, with the new deadline (19 May, 4pm) are available on our grants webpage. 
“
The Commission's Grants Scheme really allows you to really focus on quality.

Elva O'Callaghan, Irish Traveller Movement
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Gender equality
Gender quotas for State and company boards need statutory backing
The Commission has recommended to the Citizen Assembly on Gender Equality that significant State action is needed to break down barriers to achieving gender equality in Ireland.

Among its recommendations, the Commission sets out the need for a new system of statutory gender quotas for company board membership, with appropriate scaling to the size and revenue of the business.

In its recommendations, the Commission further calls for Ireland’s current employment equality law to be reformed to enforce the principle of equal pay for work of equal pay in Ireland.

The Commission also challenges “ongoing deficiencies” which see Ireland’s high childcare costs acting as a barrier to women’s participation in employment.
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In public life, whether within the professions, business, sport or politics there are historic and persisting barriers to gender equality.

Professor Caroline Fennell, Acting Chief Commissioner
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Learn at home
Human rights and equality resources
From the possibility of remote Supreme court judgments to reduced access to services to the introduction of emergency legislation, every facet of society is responding to the challenges presented by the coronavirus disease pandemic.

Browse our list of Commission resources for people at home to find out more about human rights and equality issues in Ireland.
Learn more
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