Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

100th session

25 November–13 December 2019

Item 4 of the provisional agenda

Consideration of reports, comments and information submitted by States parties under article 9 of the Convention

List of themes in relation to the combined fifth to ninth reports of Ireland

Note by the Country Rapporteur

1.The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination decided at its seventy-sixth session (A/65/18, para. 85) that the Country Rapporteur would send to the State party concerned a short list of themes with a view to guiding and focusing the dialogue between the State party’s delegation and the Committee during the consideration of the State party’s report. The present document contains a list of such themes. It is not an exhaustive list; other issues may also be raised in the course of the dialogue. No written replies are required.

The Convention in domestic law and the institutional and policy framework for its implementation (arts. 1, 2, and 4)

2.Measures taken to ensure consistent disaggregation of data by ethnicity across State institutions to inform policy decisions and evaluate implementation and the impact of steps taken to eliminate racial discrimination (CERD/C/IRL/5-9, paras. 14–22).

3.Measures taken to incorporate the Convention into the national legal system to allow its application by the courts and grant individuals full protection of the rights under the Convention, as previously recommended (CERD/C/IRL/CO/2, para. 9; CERD/C/IRL/CO/3-4, para. 16; CERD/C/IRL/5-9, para. 71).

4.Measures taken to withdraw the declaration of the State party on article 4 of the Convention, as previously recommended (CERD/C/IRL/CO/2, para. 10; CERD/C/IRL/CO/3-4, para. 17; CERD/C/IRL/5-9, paras. 72–74).

5.Measures taken to renew the National Action Plan against Racism (2008); establishment and composition of the new anti-racism committee foreseen under the Migrant Integration Strategy (2017–2020).

6.Update on the outcome of the review of legislation relating to hate crimes and incitement to hatred, including the Prohibition of Incitement to Hatred Act 1989; measures taken to strengthen legislation against hate crimes and hate speech, to ensure its consistent application and to address online hate speech; measures taken to improve the reporting and monitoring of hate crimes and hate speech (CERD/C/IRL/CO/3-4, paras. 15 and 19; CERD/C/IRL/5-9, paras. 65–69 and 195–197).

7.Measures taken to adopt legislation prohibiting racial profiling; information on how cases of racial profiling are reported and addressed; disaggregated data on racial profiling in the State party (CERD/C/IRL/CO/3-4, para. 18; CERD/C/IRL/5-9, paras. 78–92).

Situation of Travellers and Roma (arts. 2 and 5)

8.Impact of the formal recognition of Travellers as an ethnic group, in 2017, on eliminating all forms of racial discrimination towards Travellers in the State party (CERD/C/IRL/CO/3-4, para. 12; CERD/C/IRL/5-9, paras. 27–29).

9.Update on measures taken and their impact to improve the situation of the Traveller community, including with regard to equal access to education, health care, employment and safe and adequate housing (CERD/C/IRL/CO/3-4, para. 13; CERD/C/IRL/5-9, paras. 30–55).

10.Further detailed information on measures taken to adopt special measures to improve the representation of Travellers in political institutions; measures taken to encourage the Traveller community to participate in public affairs and the impact of those measures; statistical data on the representation of Travellers and other ethnic minorities in political institutions, including the lower and upper houses of Parliament (CERD/C/IRL/CO/3-4, para. 14; CERD/C/IRL/5-9, para. 56).

11.Detailed information on the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017–2021, its implementation plan and its impact on improving the situation of Travellers and Roma (CERD/C/IRL/5-9, paras. 33–36).

12.Updated information on measures taken to eliminate discrimination against Roma, especially in access to housing and public services, and their outcomes.

Situation of minorities (arts. 2 and 5)

13.Measures taken to consult minorities and indigenous peoples in the drafting of the new action plan on poverty and social inclusion.

14.Measures taken to eliminate discrimination against people of African descent and their outcomes, in particular in terms of improving access to public services, education, housing, health care and employment (CERD/C/IRL/CO/3-4, para. 21; CERD/C/IRL/5-9, paras. 111–122).

15.Measures taken to accelerate the establishment of alternative, non-denominational or multi-denominational schools; measures taken to encourage diversity and tolerance of other faiths and beliefs in the education system, including by monitoring incidents of discrimination on the basis of belief (CERD/C/IRL/CO/3-4, para. 26; CERD/C/IRL/5-9, paras. 135–157).

16.Information on investigations into abuses in mother and baby homes, in particular as regards the experiences of minority women and girls, and the outcome of the investigations, including measures taken to protect women and girls.

Non-citizens, including refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons, migrants (arts. 2 and 5)

17.Information on the implementation of the International Protection Act of 2015, including data on family reunifications resulting from the Act (CERD/C/IRL/CO/3-4, para. 25; CERD/C/IRL/5-9, paras. 131–134).

18.Update on measures taken to improve the living conditions of asylum seekers; implementation of recommendations to improve the direct provision system and information on the impact of the system on the situation of those applying for international protection, especially children (CERD/C/IRL/CO/3-4, para. 20; CERD/C/IRL/5-9, paras. 98–110).

19.Measures taken to eliminate barriers to the labour market for those applying for international protection and measures taken to protect migrant workers and asylum seekers from exploitation in the labour market.

20.Information on the implementation and impact of the Second National Action Plan to Prevent and Combat Human Trafficking in Ireland (2016); outcome of the review of the formal victim identification process for victims of human trafficking (CERD/C/IRL/5-9, paras. 202–205).

Human rights education to combat prejudice and intolerance (art. 7)

21.Update on measures taken by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission to raise awareness and provide human rights training to all civil servants, including those serving in the Garda Síochána (police) and the judiciary, and the impact of such training on eliminating racism and intolerance (CERD/C/IRL/CO/3-4, para. 24; CERD/C/IRL/5-9, paras. 127–130).