The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) has today commenced a High Court case against the Irish State over its failure to house asylum seekers, arguing that this is a violation of migrants’ human rights.
IHREC – a public body which was created under 2014 legislation – was established as Ireland’s official national human rights watchdog. In 2022, the group received in excess of €7.5 million in State-funding.
In a statement today, the group said that they had “commenced” the unprecedented move of taking a legal action under its own name.
“Today a case taken by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission’s has commenced before the High Court,” the group said.
“These proceedings seek to address the State’s failure to provide for the basic needs, including accommodation, of people recently arrived in Ireland and seeking international protection. The hearing is scheduled for three days.
“In December 2023, when the Commission commenced these proceedings, it explained that it was doing so because of the gravity of the situation faced by unaccommodated IP applicants. This is the first time that Commission has used its power to bring legal proceedings in its own name in the High Court.”
The group said it was seeking to have the High Court declare that the State’s failure to provide for “the basic needs” of asylum applicants is “in breach of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and/or the Irish Constitution.”
“The Commission is also seeking an order requiring the Minister to provide material reception conditions to unaccommodated IP applicants,” they added.
“The Commission is making this statement in light of the public interest in the issues at hand and the nature of the legal power being used. As the case is ongoing, we will be making no further comment at this time.”
The news comes as Ireland has almost 2,000 asylum seekers who are currently without accommodation upon their arrival into the State.
There are a total of 85 homeless migrant tents present along Dublin’s Grand Canal, despite repeated tent clean-up operations of the general area by authorities in recent weeks and months.