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The Journal
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Judge overturns ruling that State breached human rights for not accommodating asylum seekers
AN APPEALS COURT judge has overturned a decision which ruled that the State was in breach of its human rights obligations over failing to provide basic needs, such as housing, to international protection applicants. The state ran out of public accommodation for asylum seekers almost two years ago and increased payments and provided temporary shelter, such as tents, to those who arrived by themselves and were without housing. In March, the State launched an appeal of a High Court decision last year that ruled the state was in breach of its international human rights obligations over the failure to provide necessities to people seeking asylum in Ireland . The ruling opened up the possibility for the state to be sued in the future. Today, a Mr Justice Anthony Collins overturned the ruling and stated that the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, which took the original case against the state, failed to uphold its claims that a lack of services impacted people's health status. Advertisement The Commission had claimed that the failure to place people seeking international protection into publicly-provided housing resulted in extreme material poverty and impacted their physical and mental health. The court accepted that people seeking international protection in Ireland could be classified as being in extreme material poverty, on account of testimony from 13 asylum seekers who claimed the lack of services had an impact on the status of their health. However, the judge disagreed that the group's health issues, as a result of a lack of services, were representative of all applicants in similar positions. 'That evidence is necessarily and understandably limited to those individuals' experiences,' the judgment said. It added that the Commission had not 'demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Court how that evidence can be applied across the board' or that they were 'put in a state of degradation incompatible with human dignity'. Section 41 In its appeal, the state had also argued that the Commission was not entitled to bring a Section 41 case, which allows it to challenge government decisions that it reasonably believes risks the fulfilment of international obligations. The state submitted argued that there was no basis for the claim, as the then-Minister for Integration Roderic O'Gorman had made efforts to increase payments to people seeking international protection who were not provided with public accommodation. Related Reads Fences will continue to be erected along canal if more tents appear, says Waterways Ireland boss 'You can't erect a tent wherever you want' - Taoiseach responds to 'cruelty' accusations Ministers to discuss a €75 payment to asylum applicants after accommodation runs out Mr Justice Collins rejected this today, however. He said that the Commission had a right, under Section 41 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, to bring the case forward. 'The Commission's institution of these proceedings comes within the intendment of that provision, by reason of which they were properly before the High Court,' he wrote. Speaking today, chief commissioner Liam Herrick said while the human rights watchdog was 'disappointed with the Court's ultimate finding', it welcomes the ruling which allows it to continue to legally challenge decisions. 'We will closely examine this judgment,' he said. 'And the Commission as a whole will consider whether or not to appeal.' He added: 'In the meantime, the substantive issues remain. Thousands of International Protection applicants are experiencing extreme material poverty. 'As of July 2025, there are 1,333 International Protection applicants who are without accommodation. Under EU law the State has an obligation to provide for their basic need.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
22-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Independent
More clarity needed on plans for HPV catch-up scheme for under-25s, says Roderic O'Gorman
The Government needs to be clear about its plan to roll out a HPV catch-up scheme for those aged under 25, Green Party TD Roderic O'Gorman has said.
Irish Examiner
19-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
‘We did our best': Religious order's defence of county home care sparks fresh redress row
The Sisters of Saint John of God have defended the care they gave unmarried mothers in a county home, saying there is 'no evidence that they did anything but their best' and described the women who were admitted there as 'banished' from society, new records reveal. The religious order was one of eight that met with former minister for children Roderic O'Gorman, along with officials from his department and the State Claims Agency, for discussions on voluntary contributions to the redress scheme. The meetings took place following the publication of the final report by the Commission of Inquiry into mother and baby homes in January 2021. That five-year investigation examined 14 mother and baby homes and four county homes, and one of its recommendations was a financial package be established to compensate survivors. The payment scheme, estimated to cost €800m, would benefit 34,000 survivors and was rolled out last year. Now, Freedom of Information records show for the first time the lengthy negotiations and correspondence between the Department of Children and the eight religious orders who ran the homes. Bed sheets with the names of hundreds of dead children draped on the gates of a mass burial site in Tuam, Co Galway. Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire In 2023, Sheila Nunan, a former president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and former general secretary of the Irish National Teachers' Organisation, was appointed by Government to engage with the congregations involved in the inquiry. Her report delivered last April revealed only two out of the eight orders offered a financial contribution towards the cost of the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme. The Sisters of Bon Secours, who ran the Tuam home, offered €12.97m — a sum deemed as 'meaningful' and accepted by the Government. The Daughters of Charity of St Vincent De Paul offered a building to the Government, which FOI records released to the Irish Examiner show is currently being used by the Department of Education for children deemed "at risk". A third religious body — the Sisters of St John of God — did not contribute to the redress scheme and instead offered a donation of €75,000 to be used for a charitable purpose associated with mother and baby home survivors. Donation under strict conditions FOI records show that donation was offered under a series of strict conditions by the sisters, which stated: The donation if accepted, is not being given as compensation as it is not accepted that the congregation are obliged to compensate for something that they did not do; There is no evidence to indicate that the congregation participated in anything illegal, or untoward, so this would be a donation without any admission of liability; Any publicity around the donation will be by agreement with the congregation; If the congregation pay this money, a way needs to be found to protect the reputation and good work of the sisters, who did their best as employees at the County Home in Thomastown, and indeed the reputation of the Sisters of Saint John of Gods; If the minister can find a way to do this, that satisfies the congregation, this donation will be given. Children's minister Norma Foley: 'I have publicly stated that I am disappointed by the approach adopted by organisations, and I do believe that more could and should have been done by way of offering contributions to the payment scheme.'Picture: Niall Carson/PA Wire Minister for children Norma Foley declined the offer in a letter dated April 10, 2025, which said: 'As your offer is not in the context of the payment scheme, this is a matter for your order to address itself and is not a matter for consideration by Government.' 'Disappointed' by approach of organisations In correspondence with the six orders who did not contribute to the scheme, including the Sisters of St John of God, the minister said: 'I have publicly stated that I am disappointed by the approach adopted by organisations, and I do believe that more could and should have been done by way of offering contributions to the payment scheme.' She went on to say the purpose of her letter is to 'invite you to again consider the report and having reflected on its contents, to request you to take this opportunity to make a meaningful contribution towards the mother and baby institutions payment scheme.' Correspondence received by the Irish Examiner show a series of meetings took place with Ms Foley's predecessor Roderic O'Gorman, where he asked the congregations to make a moral contribution to the scheme. In the minutes of one meeting with the Sisters of St John of God on December 9, 2021, a spokesperson for the order said they 'were not governors or managers of this county home'. The meeting was told the order 'had examined the commission's report and statistical analysis provided with it and wished to make a number of overall comments'. The spokesperson said 'they acknowledge fully the awfulness of some of the stories that have come out of the mother and baby hones and the awfulness of how Irish society dealt with unmarried women and their children. 'It is not an era that anyone can be proud of,' she said. 'The sisters were employees responsible for the provision of nursing duties in the home, and this was the case throughout the period in question. She said there was a 'clear distinction here' and the Commission of Inquiry 'is clear in setting out the roles of the governors, the managers and the inspectors in managing and monitoring the county homes'. She went on to say: 'There is no evidence that they [the sisters] did anything but their best within the situation in which they found themselves. 'No evidence of mistreatment' 'Furthermore, there is no evidence or mention of mistreatment of or inappropriate behaviour by any of the sisters.' The congregation operated the former workhouse at Thomastown in Co Kilkenny. During the meeting, Mr O'Gorman was told: The sisters operated under a judgmental, under-funded and strict regime, synonymous with the societal attitudes at the time; Thomastown 'was not a mother and baby home' and there was a 'range of people eligible for care, not just single mothers and their children"; In 1923, those eligible for admission were categorised then as 'aged and infirm, chronic invalids, children, expectant unmarried mothers, harmless lunatics, and idiots'. The Commission of Inquiry report states it is clear the Thomastown Board actively segregated pregnant, married and single women, and limited access to maternity services on the basis of marital status; Married women had exclusive access to maternity services at the Kilkenny Central Hospital, while the unmarried woman had to travel to Thomastown. Another reference was also made during the meeting to the Commission of Inquiry report, which highlighted how 'the board instructed the matron to threaten women with confinement if they did not comply with the rules of the home [and that there] is no evidence to suggest that the matron took such action'. Of the 970 single expectant mothers admitted to Thomastown county home, there were three deaths recorded, none of which appeared to be childbirth-related, which is a 'testament to the nursing and midwifery care that these mothers received'. More than 50% of the mothers left the county home within 50 days of giving birth, and 80% left within six months, so those who stayed longer were in the minority, the minister was told. The register for deaths also shows from 1919 to 1962, there were 764 births, 140 children died, and the cause of death in most cases was lack of food and nutrition. The minister was also told at the meeting there were 'challenges faced by the sisters in providing this care, and referenced the inspection reports in the commission's final report. The Commission of Inquiry report stated: The nursery section was overcrowded and was the worst part of the institutions; The lavatory accommodation was insufficient and insanitary; The conditions and facilities in general were awful; The children had to go through an open yard to get to their dormitories, subjecting them to serious illnesses given the available clothing. The order's spokesperson also said the institution was understaffed and a local government inspector recommended an additional nurse with midwifery qualifications be employed, 'but the board refused to do so'. Order 'literally left holding the baby' 'It is clear that many were taken advantage of and yet they were the ones literally left holding the baby,' she continued. She said how these women were treated by the State, by the men involved and by society is 'nothing short of a tragedy'. The Commission of Inquiry report said the 'children living in the home were adequality cared for' and that in 1962, 'the overall standard of care provided in the home was quite satisfactory'. The minister was also told at the meeting many of families of the mothers 'had banished them into the county home, knowing perhaps the harshness of the system there, as this was seen as punishment for wrongdoing'. Children's socks left on railings outside the offices of the the mother and baby homes Commission of Inquiry in 2021. Picture: Damien Storan The minutes show the spokesperson said: 'It was a way of saving face for families who didn't want to know/have anything to do with a so-called illegitimate child." She referred to the report again, which 'spells out in may places the role of the various State authorities in government the operations of the county home of Thomastown' and it was 'clear that the congregations' sisters were at the mercy of State authorities when trying to make improvements or in seeking to make conditions better'. She said the congregation 'does fully recognise the wrongs perpetrated on women and children in these institutions by society at-large at the time'. Mr O'Gorman said 'even though Thomastown was not a mother and baby home, the commission investigated mother and baby homes and a sample of county homes and made recommendations in respect of both". He said 'the role of responding to what happened cannot fall to the State alone. Survivors and the public need a collective response.' The congregation said they had 98 sisters, with an average age of 81, and was charged 'primarily with ensuring that these sisters are looked after as they live out the remainder of their lives'. No admission of liability They offered a sum of €75,000 to a charity 'in the spirit of woman and children who suffered in mother and baby homes and county homes across the country', but with no admission of liability or to be seen as compensation. This offer was declined by Norma Foley in April, who said it was 'disappointing.' Other correspondence dated April 14, 2025, showed the Government 'has agreed to explore the proposal the Daughters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul made by way of a voluntary contribution to the scheme'. The order said 'We are willing to transfer our title to a property to the State without encumbrance. 'You have correctly noted that the property involved is currently in use by the Department of Education and subject to an informal leasing agreement for the purposes of a community based high-support school for children considered 'at risk'." In the minutes of a meeting between the Bons Secours nuns, who ran the Tuam home in Galway, and Roderic O'Gorman on January 13, 2021, the order said it had followed the Commission of Inquiry report and outcome and had a few questions — the first was why those who spent less than six months in an institution as children, and children who were 'boarded out', were not included the in the scheme. Former children's minister Roderic O'Gorman said 'the role of responding to what happened cannot fall to the State alone. Survivors and the public need a collective response.' The order asked if there was 'any information on the breakdown of responsibility in terms of the roles of the county councils, the State and others'. The minister was also told in the meeting the Bons Secours order 'do not have records available to them, and asked how many surviving residents there are from the Tuam home'. The order also confirmed it would contribute to the scheme and asked if it 'might be possible to get numbers of surviving residents'. Mr O'Gorman explained while the commission's report touched on the issue of children being "boarded out" as an exit pathway from the institutions, the investigative role of the commission was in relation to time spent in mother and baby and county homes and the circumstances in these institutions. He said his 'point of focus was on a collective response' and 'he was hoping to ascertain from the meetings with congregations if they are equally willing to take responsibility for their role'. In a letter to the order dated April 30, 2025, a principal officer with the Mother and Baby Action Plant unit wrote to the nuns and said: 'As Minister Foley indicated, the Government has accepted Ms Nunan's recommendation concerning your willingness to make a voluntary contribution to the above scheme in the sum of €12.974,720'.
Irish Examiner
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
'Extraordinary to bear witness': Irish politicians reflect on Budapest Pride
Banning Pride marches in Hungary "badly backfired" on Viktor Orbán, Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman said, after he joined over 100,000 people for Budapest Pride. A record number of people, from Hungary and across Europe, took to the streets for the country's main Pride march on Saturday despite the threat of legal consequences and fears around counter-protests. The protest passed off without any major incident and there were no reports of assault emerging from the march while small groups of counter-protestors made little impact. Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman at Budapest Pride on Saturday. He said Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán's attempt to ban Pride had backfired badly with attendance at the parade rising from 35,000 last year to 100.000 this year. Picture: Roderic O'Gorman Mr O'Gorman was among the Irish politicians who travelled to Budapest this weekend to show their support for the LGBT+ community in Hungary and to protest against Mr Orbán's sustained attack on their rights. Mr O'Gorman said the overwhelming display of support in Budapest showed that banning Pride badly backfired on Mr Orbán, noting that last year's event had a turnout of approximately 35,000. "It is not just the LGBT+ community marching," Mr O'Gorman said, as footage showed the streets thronged with people of all generations, families, and international supporters. Pride was led by Mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, who told the crowd: "We don't exactly look as though we were banned." Contrast with Dublin Pride Irish MEP Maria Walsh, who also attended the march, hailed the exceptional bravery of Mr Karácsony and the organisers who have been front and centre, especially in the media, despite the potential consequences from the Government. Ms Walsh said it was "extraordinary to bear witness" to the hundreds of thousands who came together as both members and allies of the LGBT+ community. It was hard not to notice the differences between the march in Budapest and Dublin Pride, which was taking place at the same time, Ms Walsh said. Political parties and organisers in Dublin would not have had to attend a number of security briefings ahead of their participation in the capital's Pride events. Security concerns before and after In the briefings, Ms Walsh said they were warned there could be sound bombs, projectiles thrown at them, and were advised to take off earrings or any other loose items. Drag artists, floats, and even music, were largely lacking at the march in Hungary, she explained, and there was not the same level of Pride flags and bunting in windows around the city as you would see in Dublin throughout Pride month. She said: It was really back to the traditional protests for Pride where people just gathered together and started walking. Ms Walsh said that while the march itself appears to have proceeded without incident, people will be watching what happens over the coming days. The Hungarian government said it would use facial recognition software to identify people attending any banned events, potentially fining them up to €500. "Many of us fly out this evening back to the European Parliament and other member states, and I hope we don't see arrests of the likes of the mayor of Budapest and you don't see arrests of those that organised or were very visible over Pride," Ms Walsh said.
The Journal
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Journal
Greens leader calls for urgent meeting on drone use as Deliveroo launches airborne service
GREEN PARTY LEADER Roderic O'Gorman has called for an urgent meeting of authorities to discuss regulations around drone use for commercial deliveries. It comes as online food delivery platform Deliveroo announced it will be initiating air deliveries using drones provided by drone operator Manna which has been delivering food items weighing 4kg or less for over a year in Dublin 15. The move gives customers in the area the opportunity to avail of extra fast food dispatch from leading local restaurants including Musashi, WOWBurger, Boojum and Elephant & Castle, arriving in as little as three minutes and at a speed of up to 80km/h. The new service will begin with a trial phase in the coming days and will be available to people within a 3km radius of Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. However, Green Party leader and Dublin West TD Roderic O'Gorman, who first raised his concerns in the Dáil in February, has renewed calls for a discussion on commercial use to involve major public stakeholders due to complaints from constituents. He wrote to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport to request it holds an 'urgent session' on the deployment of commercial drones for air deliveries. Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'This is suiting Manna and it's suiting Deliveroo, but I'm not sure if it's suiting the wider community,' O'Gorman told The Journal in relation to complaints made by some locals relating to noise and privacy concerns. 'I asked that we'd urgently look to convene a meeting and bring in Manna, bring in Deliveroo, bring in the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) to actually regulate drone use, and bring in the Department of Transport as well.' He expressed frustration at the delay in the publishing of a report by the Department which, he was told in February, would focus on developing a policy framework around drone use. 'That was in February. That really needs to be published now.' Advertisement He concedes that there are positive uses for drones in society, but hopes for a discussion on regulations to achieve a satisfactory solution for both sides of the debate. 'I see there's a role for drone deliveries [of] maybe medicines in more rural areas,' he said. 'I just think we have to have a discussion about that balance between what's good for a company versus what's good for society.' But Manna, an Irish start up from entrepreneur Bobby Healy, insists noise is 'not going to be an issue'. Healy spoke to The Journal last year where he brushed off concerns about noise polution. 'Right now we're flying 50 metres here in Blanchardstown and we can take it up a little bit higher, but we don't really need to,' he said. 'That's what we have done in Balbriggan, we do it in Texas. So that's not going to be an issue over time.' CEO of Manna, Bobby Healy, beside a delivery drone at the operations hub in Blanchardstown town centre. The Journal The Journal Healy added: 'We're an Irish business, everyone knows us, we're welcome here. Literally everyone is cheering us on, they want it to work.' The IAA said Manna is legally permitted to operate its services within Ireland due to 'a complex 'specific' regulatory category' requiring authorisation recognised in all EU member states. The regulation is enforced by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and includes requirements for drone operator registration, pilot certification, and specific operational rules depending on the drone's class and the area of operation. The Irish Times wrote about the frustrations of Blanchardstown residents , one of whom said the noise was 'like living close to a helicopter', while another said they had to quit working from home due to the noise levels. Drones have gained increasing popularity in recent years as content creators, explorers and even civil bodies like An Garda Síochána employ them as a method recording footage otherwise impossible to get. They have also seen an uptick in use by event organisers putting on impressive light displays depicting moving figures made up of thousands of synchronised drones fixed with lights. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
