Submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on the List of Issues for the Fifth Periodic Examination of Ireland August 2020 Submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on the List of Issues for the Fifth Periodic Examination of Ireland August 2020 16 – 22 Green Street, Dublin 7, D07 CR20 T (01) 858 9601 | F (01) 858 9609 | E [email protected] | www.ihrec.ie Contents 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 5 2. Legislative and Administrative Framework ......................................................................................... 6 Domestic incorporation and reservations .......................................................................................... 6 Legislation ........................................................................................................................................... 6 Fines (Payment and Recovery) Act 2014 (Article 11) ...................................................................... 6 Commencement delays .................................................................................................................. 7 Proposed legislation ........................................................................................................................ 8 Equality and human rights infrastructure (Article 26) ........................................................................ 9 Business and human rights ............................................................................................................. 9 Equality budgeting ........................................................................................................................ 10 Collection of disaggregated data ...................................................................................................... 10 3. Fair Trial and Equal Access before the Law (Articles 9, 14) .............................................................. 11 Access to counsel .............................................................................................................................. 11 Undue delays in criminal and civil proceedings ................................................................................ 12 Civil legal aid ..................................................................................................................................... 12 Criminal legal aid ............................................................................................................................... 13 Offences against the State Act .......................................................................................................... 14 Retention of the Special Criminal Court ....................................................................................... 14 Covid-19 impact on access to justice ................................................................................................ 15 4. Redress for Historic Abuses (Article 2, 3, 7) ...................................................................................... 16 Commissions of investigation ........................................................................................................... 16 Historical Abuse in Scouting Ireland ............................................................................................. 16 Abuse in care settings ................................................................................................................... 17 Magdalen Laundries .......................................................................................................................... 17 Mother and Baby Homes .................................................................................................................. 19 Children’s Institutions ....................................................................................................................... 20 Retention of Records Bill 2019 ...................................................................................................... 21 O’Keeffe v. Ireland ........................................................................................................................ 22 Symphysiotomy ................................................................................................................................. 22 5. Incitement to Hatred and Hate Speech (Article 20) ......................................................................... 23 Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989 .................................................................................. 23 Hate Speech ...................................................................................................................................... 23 Online hate speech ....................................................................................................................... 24 Hate Crime ........................................................................................................................................ 24 2 6. Experiences of Minorities in Ireland (Article 27) .............................................................................. 25 Traveller and Roma Communities..................................................................................................... 25 Discrimination faced by minority ethnic groups ............................................................................... 26 7. Rights of migrants and Asylum Seekers (Article 13) ......................................................................... 26 Asylum determination ...................................................................................................................... 26 Waiting times ................................................................................................................................ 26 Rejection rate ................................................................................................................................ 27 Unaccompanied and separated Children...................................................................................... 27 Supports for applicants ................................................................................................................. 28 Direct Provision ................................................................................................................................. 28 Emergency accommodation ......................................................................................................... 29 Vulnerability assessments ............................................................................................................. 30 Regulation and oversight .............................................................................................................. 30 Deportation and refusal of leave to land .......................................................................................... 31 Family Reunification .......................................................................................................................... 32 Migrant experiences ......................................................................................................................... 33 Citizenship and residency ............................................................................................................. 33 8. Mental Health Establishments (Articles 7, 9, 16) .............................................................................. 35 Equal recognition before the law...................................................................................................... 35 Non-consensual psychiatric treatment ............................................................................................. 35 Involuntary treatment, seclusion and restraint ............................................................................ 35 Impact of COVID-19 on mental health facilities ............................................................................... 36 9. Human Trafficking (Article 8) ............................................................................................................ 36 Identification and protection of victims of trafficking ...................................................................... 36 Accommodation in direct provision centres ..................................................................................... 38 Investigation and prosecution of trafficking offences ...................................................................... 38 Compensation, data and monitoring ................................................................................................ 38 Impact of Covid-19 on victims of trafficking ..................................................................................... 39 10. Gender Equality and Rights of the Family (Articles 3, 23) .............................................................. 40 Gender Equality ................................................................................................................................ 40 Constitutional reform ................................................................................................................... 40 Violence against women ................................................................................................................... 40 Sexual and domestic violence ......................................................................................................