Ireland has yet to ratify a UN agreement allowing for the inspection of places of detention despite the then government signing it a decade ago today.
While some places of detention, such as prisons, have their own inspection regimes, others such as Garda stations and facilities for some immigrants are not inspected by any State body for human rights abuses, according to a report by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC).
The commission is calling on the Government to establish inspection regimes which will cover all places of detention including areas where gaps currently exist. The report also suggests that “de facto” places of detention, where residents are allowed to leave but often cannot for practical reasons, should also be inspected regularly by the State. These include direct provision centres, nursing homes and facilities for disabled people where their doors are locked.
Emily Logan, chief commissioner of IHREC, said that “a decade on from Ireland signalling its intention to ratify this UN protocol, substantial progress has yet to be made”.
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