Sinéad Gibney

The rights watchdog today published its strategy statement for 2022-24, its third strategy statement since its establishment in 2014, following a consultation process with various individuals, organisations, and bodies from across the human rights and equality sector.

It identifies the Commission’s five strategic priority areas as follows:

• Economic equality: Seeking greater economic equality in housing, employment, income and for carers.
• Justice: Defending access to justice and the rule of law in the international protection system, in the courts, and in the use of public powers, including in respect of Brexit impacts.
• Respect and recognition: Promoting the eradication of racism, ableism, ageism, and sexism, through public understanding and State action.
• Future-proofing: Responding to crises that threaten rights and equality including the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change.
• Public sector equality and human rights duty: Encouraging, reporting on and enforcing the compliance of public bodies with their statutory duty.

Speaking at the launch, chief commissioner Sinéad Gibney said: “Today is a moment where as a society we can take a different approach. We can recalibrate our values and priorities and make a conscious effort to simply care for each other more, to choose to see our commonalities more than our differences, and to join together in recognition of what we’ve learned in this pandemic – that we are stronger when we behave as a community, supporting each other and acting in solidarity.

“Before the pandemic exacerbated the situation of our healthcare, our housing, of people facing discrimination and exclusion in shops and street corners, these problems all existed here in Ireland. As we all sought safety at home, the pandemic simply shone a brighter light on the problems beyond our front door.

“Today with this strategy statement we, at IHREC, are calling for a rethink of Ireland’s approach to human rights and equality. To be proactive, both individually and as a society. To go out and seek the voices, views and perspectives of those who are heard least, and impacted most by decision-making. To think about the equality and dignity which we all want, and build it into how we design not only the homes of our future, but the policies, programmes and institutions of our coming generations. And crucially, not to wait for people to be wronged and to be hurt before forcing them to seek justice.”