Ireland is a stable democracy in which political rights and civil liberties are respected and defended. There is some societal discrimination against groups including the traditionally nomadic Irish Travellers and newly arrived immigrants and asylum seekers. Corruption scandals have plagued the police force, and domestic violence remains a problem.

• In March, referendum voters overwhelmingly rejected two government-backed constitutional amendments that would have replaced what critics saw as antiquated references to marriage as the foundation of the family and to women and mothers as the primary caregivers in the home. Opponents of the proposed new language from across the political spectrum argued that it was vague and confusing. The government’s defeat contributed to the resignation of Leo Varadkar as taoiseach, or prime minister, later that month. He was replaced by fellow Fine Gael party member Simon Harris in April.
• Municipal and European Parliament elections held in June yielded little change, with the governing centrist coalition—Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, and the Green Party—largely retaining their position despite some losses to the left-leaning Sinn Féin and smaller parties. In November elections for the Dáil, the lower house of parliament, Fianna Fáil led with 48 of 174 seats, followed by Sinn Féin with 39, Fine Gael with 38, and Labour and the Social Democrats with 11 each. The Greens were reduced to a single seat, while the new right-wing Independent Ireland party captured four; other small parties and independents accounted for the remainder. Talks on government formation were ongoing at year’s end.
• The parliament adopted legislation in July that would strengthen protections for victims of sexual offenses during trial and improve provisions for the identification and support of human-trafficking victims.
• In October, the parliament approved a law that would expand suffrage for the six members of the Senate (Seanad Éireann) chosen by university graduates to include graduates of all Irish institutions of higher education; the Supreme Court had ruled in 2023 that limiting the electorate for these seats to the graduates of just two major universities was unconstitutional.
• The Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act 2024 won final passage in the parliament in October and was set to take effect at the end of the year. The law brought Ireland into line with most other European countries by establishing enhanced penalties for crimes motivated by hatred based on characteristics such as race and gender; the final version excluded a controversial provision that would have criminalized hate speech or incitement to hatred. The new legislation was adopted as Ireland faced ongoing challenges related to housing of asylum seekers and cases of anti-immigrant protests and violence, including arson. In August, the High Court ruled that the government had violated the human rights of asylum seekers by failing to provide shelter to new arrivals.

This report has been abridged for Freedom in the World 2025 due to ongoing budget constraints. Freedom in the World is entirely funded by nongovernmental sources such as private foundations, corporations, and individuals like you. Please consider making a donation to support future editions of this vital resource.

For additional background information, see last year’s full report.