The government committed to banning trade from illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Plans to use facial recognition technology in policing raised concerns over mass and discriminatory surveillance. A government-appointed commission recommended radical action to address the worsening housing crisis.

Corporate accountability

In October the government undertook to enact legislation banning trade in goods and services from illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. This decision followed the International Court of Justice’s July Advisory Opinion on the unlawfulness of Israel’s occupation.

Also in October an Oireachtas (parliamentary) committee published a report on mental health and other harms caused to children by social media. It called for a legal requirement that online platforms’ content recommendation systems be switched off by default for children under 16 years, and for stronger enforcement by Irish authorities.

Right to a healthy environment

In November the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland reported that, despite progress in the deployment of renewable energy, significant gaps remained in Ireland’s efforts to meet its own legally binding carbon budgets, energy efficiency commitments, and renewable energy targets.

In July the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s assessment of Ireland’s climate finance strategy acknowledged its focus on adaptation – as compared with the mitigation focus of most climate finance initiatives – and its channelling of funding to least developed countries and small island developing states.

Freedom of expression, association and assembly

Human rights experts expressed concerns at the proposed use of facial recognition technology in policing due to its chilling effect on the right to freedom of assembly and association. They feared that this technology would enable mass surveillance and discriminatory targeted surveillance, posing a disproportionate risk to racialized people.

Also of concern was a lack of publicly available policies and guidelines on the policing of protests, in a context where unlawful use of force against peaceful protesters had been reported.

The ongoing impact of the Electoral Act on the advocacy work of a wide range of civil society organizations remained worrying due to its restrictions on access to funding.

Sexual and reproductive rights

In October, legislation came into force prohibiting conduct amounting to attempted “influence or intimidation” of people arriving at abortion care clinics. The Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Act 2024 aimed to ensure the integrity and rights of people accessing abortion services.

The government failed to address gaps identified in its 2023 review of the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. As a result, the risk of delay or denial of care to those needing abortions continued.

Workers’ rights

Despite a statutory requirement, the government again failed to publish a review of the 2017 law criminalizing the purchase of sex, which also retained the “brothel-keeping” offence criminalizing sex workers working together, even if for their own safety. Sex workers and civil society organizations expressed concern that the law remained in force despite evidence that it exposed sex workers to a higher risk of violence and other abuse.

Right to housing

The crisis of housing availability and affordability continued, with record numbers experiencing homelessness, including children. In March, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights criticized the continued lack of culturally appropriate housing for Travellers and Roma.

In May, the government-appointed Housing Commission’s review of housing policy found “ineffective decision-making” and high public expenditure relative to other European states. It recommended a “radical strategic reset of housing policy”. It also proposed wording for the constitutional referendum on housing promised by the government but not held by year’s end.

Refugees’ and migrants’ rights

The government failed to revise its plan for phasing out the inadequate “direct provision” asylum accommodation system. Due to lack of availability, and as a lower priority group, thousands of single male asylum seekers were left without accommodation; many were forced to sleep rough. In August, the High Court ruled that the state failed in its duty to provide for their basic needs.

Right to health

In September, civil society organization Transgender Equality Network Ireland published research into transgender and non-binary people’s experiences of general and gender-affirming healthcare services. It found long waiting lists for, and negative mental health effects from, the specialist National Gender Service. It also found frequent pathologization and lack of knowledge among general healthcare providers.

Discrimination

The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern at persistent discrimination and racism against the Traveller and Roma communities.

The Criminal Justice (Hate Offences) Act came into force in December, increasing sentences for certain crimes proven to be motivated by hatred.