Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2026
860. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her plans for broad consultation with civil society in advance of submitting a report to the Universal Periodic Review working group at the UN Human Rights Council in July 2026. [5902/26]
View answerThe Department of Children, Disability and Equality is responsible for coordinating the State’s engagement with the current cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process. Work is currently underway on the preparation of the State report, which is due to be submitted to the United Nations in the summer of 2026.
The Department is continuing to actively support the effective engagement of civil society and children and young people in the State’s UPR process. As part of this, a stakeholder consultation was convened by the Department on 8 October 2025 to provide an opportunity for participants to highlight key priorities and to inform the development of the State’s UPR Report. The consultation brought together civil society organisations, national human rights institutions, and representatives from across Government Departments. Stakeholders noted progress achieved since the previous UPR cycle, while also highlighting ongoing challenges and key concerns requiring further attention.
The Department is currently finalising the report of this consultation. This report will be published as a standalone document in due course, and it will directly inform the preparation of the State UPR report.
In addition, to ensure that the voice of children and young people are heard, in line with article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Department is undertaking a series of targeted consultations with children and young people through the National Participation Office. These include consultations within the context of a school completion programme, a children’s detention centre, a special school and an International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) centre. A review of recent relevant consultations with children and young people is also being carried out to help highlight issues relevant to the UPR process.
Separately, the UN Human Rights Council provides a direct mechanism for civil society input into the UPR process. The Department participated in a capacity-building event for civil society on Ireland's UPR hosted by IHREC on 14 January 2026. Stakeholder submissions are due to the UN on 10 April 2026.
