FLAC delivered a statement to UN Member States at the United Nations in Geneva this morning to brief them on key issues.

The statement highlights the lack of progress in addressing longstanding human rights issues, including the failure of the State to update and improve civil legal aid and anti-discrimination laws. It also highlights potential backsliding on human rights and access to justice in areas like judicial review – where draft legislation runs the risk of blocking disadvantaged groups from asserting their rights in court.

Speaking in advance of the UPR Pre-Session, Christopher Bowes, FLAC policy & public affairs manager stated: “The UPR is a unique process which examines the State’s human rights record as a whole. In the five years since the last review of Ireland, the human rights and equality agenda in Ireland has stalled if not regressed. The State has introduced legislation which will likely lead to an increase in homelessness amongst non-Irish nationals and migrant communities, and it is considering judicial review legislation which may block disadvantaged groups from taking cases about access to basic public services like housing and education. That judicial review legislation should not proceed.

“Progress in areas like anti-discrimination has also stalled, leaving many victims of discrimination without access to an effective remedy. A draft Equality Bill which would greatly strengthen Ireland’s anti-discrimination laws has been published but it has not been progressed. 

“It has been over a year since the first review of the civil legal aid system was completed and the system remains chronically under-resourced and unable to meet the legal needs of disadvantaged groups. It is time for the State to treat legal aid as an essential public service and set out a timeline for comprehensive reform of the system. Urgent law reform is also needed to address the extremely high rate of Traveller homelessness and to remove barriers to groups such as Roma accessing basic public services.

“FLAC will be urging UN Member States to use the UPR process to challenge Ireland to make real progress on human rights and to address longstanding issues which gravely impact the lives and rights of disadvantaged groups.”

Speaking today, ICCL executive director Joe O’Brien said: “Ireland is not immune to the global trend of backsliding on human rights and democratic freedoms. The UPR process is a valuable opportunity to look at Ireland’s human rights record in the round, identify shortcomings and push the State to better fulfil the rights of everyone in Ireland.

“We’ve seen worrying developments recently in Ireland, including a stalling of equality and anti-discrimination efforts, and moves which would hinder people’s access to justice, most notably through the proposed judicial review changes. Ireland needs to course-correct and recommit to robustly protecting everyone’s rights and freedoms.”