We are delighted to welcome this guest blog by Alan Desmond. This blog first appeared on www.crimmigration.com. As we approach the 25th anniversary of the UN International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (ICMW), Migrants Matter, a group of postgraduate students and young professionals concerned with(…)
On June 22, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights issued their concluding observations on Ireland’s compliance with obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). You can access the concluding observations of the Committee here. Ireland’s next report under ICESCR will not be considered until 2020 at the earliest. Positive(…)
The European Convention on Human Rights Act 2003 offers only a narrow window for the pleading of the Convention in the Irish courts. Indeed, Fiona Donson and I recently compared taking an ECHR action before the Irish courts to arriving on floor seven and a half in the movie Being John Malkovich. A re-reading of one(…)
Tomorrow, the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Bill finally progresses to Committee stage in the Dail. This Bill seeks to abolish the outdated ward of court system which currently provides the only mechanism in Irish law for removing the legal capacity of an adult and appointing a substitute decision-maker to take legal actions on that adult’s behalf.(…)
Minister Frances Fitzgerald stated in the Seanad last week that she is “committed to delivering a sea change in the oversight of policing.” At the core of the reform package which will supposedly deliver this is the Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015 and the soon to be created Policing Authority. She(…)
NUI Galway will host a conference entitled ‘Spending Socially- Achieving Social Value Through Public Procurement’ on Monday, June 15, 2015 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. This event will bring together, for the first time in Ireland, a unique range of experts in the fields of public procurement and the social economy. The aim is to explore(…)
This is a summary of the response of Minister Sherlock and the Irish Delegation to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. [Finalised. Where the Government did not respond directly to a question, this is to be provided for in a written answer post the meeting and within 48 hours. Concluding Observations to be(…)
This is my attempted structuring of the core questions asked of Minister Sherlock and the Irish delegation by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The questions are coming quick and fast, and I do hope I’m fairly reflecting the complexity of the questions asked. [Ended, see responses of State delegation here] (…)
You can access a very brief overview of just some of the organisations presenting before the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights from 10am to 11am here, here and here. These are my notes on Minister Sherlock’s engagement with CESCR and should be checked against delivery. It is not a transcript of Minister(…)
Apologies to any organisations that I have not been able to summarise their arguments. Jane O’Sullivan, Community Law and Mediation noted the obligations upon Ireland under Article 9 ICESCR and right to social security violated in many respects. The quality of decision-making is a significant concern in terms of the respect and protection for social(…)
