Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission

We are seeking quotations for Services to Facilitate and Support the Development of our Strategy Statement 2028–2030. The successful respondent will support delivery of a strategic planning process to inform our Strategy Statement 2028–2030. The process will be overseen by a Commission sub-Committee on strategic planning and coordinated by our Office of the Director team. It will centrally involve the Chief Commissioner, Commission members, the Director, and Senior Management Team.   More information can be found in the attached booklet. If you are interested in making a submission in response to this RFQ, please forward an application before 12pm on Friday, 27 November 2026 by email to procurement@ihrec.ie with “RFQ Services to Facilitate and Support the Development of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission’s Strategy Statement 2028–2030” in the subject line. Requests for clarification can be submitted via email to procurement@ihrec.ie before 12pm on Friday 20 November 2026. Interested tenderers should contact the Procurement Unit at procurement@ihrec.ie to register their interest and to receive all clarifications and updates issued during the RFQ process. Please note that this platform is for notice/visibility purposes only and will not be updated with ongoing clarifications.

Child trafficking in Ireland is a hidden crisis that demands urgent attention. In today's Irish Sun, our Chief Commissioner Liam Herrick highlights the realities of child trafficking in Ireland, and the need to ask difficult questions to ensure vulnerable children do not fall through the cracks. We are calling for the immediate commencement of legislation establishing Ireland's National Referral Mechanism (NRM) to ensure victims of trafficking are identified and receive the protection and support they need. Read Chief Commissioner Herrick's piece in full: https://lnkd.in/gmmEsGwF Explore IHREC's report on 'Child Trafficking in Ireland, including ICT-Facilitated Child Trafficking': https://lnkd.in/g2fGEzrr

Grants Awards Announced: Human Rights and Equality Grants Scheme 2026-27📣 We are delighted to announce that 21 civil society organisations have been awarded a total of €350,000 in funding through our Grants Scheme. This year, the Grants Scheme is supporting projects that advance rights protected under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; tackle racism and racial discrimination and advancing the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination; advance the promotion and protection of human rights and equality in the digital environment, including the application of artificial intelligence. Our Chief Commissioner Liam Herrick noted: “The Human Rights and Equality Grants Scheme is hugely important to the work we do in the IHREC as it gives voice to those with lived experience of discrimination and rights infringements." Congratulations to all 21 organisations, who gathered at IHREC recently for an induction seminar. Read more about the grantees and their projects: https://lnkd.in/dUeQ9qxH Read our full press release: https://lnkd.in/d7A6bffR

We welcome Ireland’s election to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Speaking on the result, our Chief Commissioner Liam Herrick said: “We believe that the high standing that Ireland will enjoy as a Member of the UN Human Rights Council brings with it enormous responsibility to show leadership in the current difficult challenges. The current human rights system, long under stress of underfunding and obstruction, is in crisis as it faces threats on several fronts, including rising authoritarian opposition and crumbling support structures. The drive towards expanding equality protections is now grinding to a halt in many regions, or even reversing - with attacks on women's rights, LGBTQI+ rights and antiracism protections building momentum. Ireland will need to articulate a clear and coherent vision for the protection of human rights and equality within an increasingly fragmented international environment.” We welcome Ireland’s stated commitments on gender equality and LGBTIQ+ rights, given the growing backlash on women’s rights, sexual and reproductive health, and LGBTIQ+ rights observed within various United Nation forums. Ireland’s own human rights record is set to be examined on 10 November 2026 by the UN Human Rights Council. This is Ireland being put to the test and reviewed by peer countries on human rights, as part of Ireland’s fourth periodic review of the Universal Periodic Process. As Ireland’s national human rights institution, we engage with the Universal Periodic Process and our submission and advocacy briefs are available here: https://lnkd.in/dRdJdXEP

We are seeking quotations for services to undertake specialist research on the information and data provisions of the Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT). We request quotes from suitably qualified, interested parties to deliver specialist research on the implementation of Article 20 of OPCAT in Ireland, to inform its data collection processes and reporting obligations as the prospective Co-ordinating NPM. More information can be found in the attached information booklet. If you are interested in making a submission in response to this RFQ, please forward an application before 12pm on Thursday 05 November 2026 by email to procurement@ihrec.ie with “RFQ OPCAT” in the subject line. Requests for clarification can be submitted via email to procurement@ihrec.ie before 12pm Thursday 29 October 2026. Further information and Clarifications: Interested tenderers should contact the Procurement Unit at procurement@ihrec.ie to register their interest and to receive all clarifications and updates issued during the RFQ process. Please note that this platform is for notice/visibility purposes only and will not be updated with ongoing clarifications.

The US State Department's Trafficking in Persons Report has ranked Ireland as Tier 2, and we are warning that progress in Ireland’s response to human trafficking has stalled and that the Government must not step back from commitments already made but not yet implemented. The report recognises a number of positive developments, including increased investigations, prosecutions and convictions, Ireland’s first convictions for trafficking for labour exploitation under anti-trafficking legislation, and a significant increase in the number of trafficking victims identified and referred to care. However, the report also identifies serious and continuing shortcomings in Ireland’s response to trafficking. These include the continued failure to implement the revised National Referral Mechanism (NRM) resulting in what are described as systemic deficiencies and gaps in victim referral, assistance and identification.  Our Chief Commissioner Liam Herrick noted: “The NRM was designed to address fundamental weaknesses in Ireland’s existing system by creating a clearer, accessible, multidisciplinary pathway for identifying, referring and protecting victims of trafficking. The 2024 legislation was the product of significant parliamentary scrutiny and years of work. We should now be moving forward with its implementation, not backwards." Read our press release here: https://lnkd.in/dy4Cs3qW Read the TIP Report here: https://lnkd.in/dd3TgWKe