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The "Our Voice, Our Rights" Blog

This section contains blog pieces from invited guest writers presenting various civil society concerns around issues contained in the Covenant. To enquire about submitting a piece, please contact us. Any opinions expressed within the blog are those of the author and not necessarily held by FLAC.

Respecting the Rights of Asylum seekers

Posted on June 02, 2015

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Posted in: immigrantsasylum seekersdirect provisionfamily life

Is Ireland ensuring the right to education for all?

Posted on May 22, 2015

Publication cover - Right to education_sheet
[smPullExtract inputText=%3Cp%3E%3Ci%3EKevin%20McCague%20is%20Legal%20and%20Social%20Welfare%20Intern%20with%20FLAC%3C/i%3E%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%3Ca%20style%3D%22line-height%3A%201.5em%3B%22%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CESCR.aspx%22%3EArticle%2013%20of%20the%20International%20Covenant%20on%20Economic%2C%20Social%20and%20Cultural%20R%3C/a%3Eights%20guarantees%20a%20right%20of%20everyone%20to%20education%2C%20emphasising%20that%20education%20should%20be%20made%20available%20and%20accessible%2C%20and%20that%20there%20should%20be%20a%20progressive%20introduction%20of%20free%20access%20to%20secondary%20and%20higher%20education.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EHowever%2C%20in%20many%20ways%20Ireland%20has%20moved%20away%20from%20this%20commitment%20to%20cost%20free%20access%20over%20the%20last%20number%20of%20years.%20New%20costs%20and%20charges%20have%20been%20introduced%20at%20all%20stages%20of%20the%20education%20system%3B%20at%20the%20same%20time%2C%20supports%20for%20children%20and%20young%20adults%20from%20low%20income%20families%20have%20been%20cut.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAt%20primary%20and%20secondary%20levels%2C%20the%20most%20vulnerable%20students%20have%20been%20particularly%20affected%20by%20education%20cuts.%20Funds%20for%20traveller%20education%20projects%20have%20been%20reduced%20drastically.%20Support%20for%20students%20with%20disabilities%20and%20those%20who%20do%20not%20speak%20English%20as%20a%20first%20language%20have%20also%20been%20restricted.%20It%20is%20hard%20to%20see%20how%20educational%20outcomes%20for%20these%20students%20will%20not%20be%20negatively%20impacted%20by%20these%20policy%20decisions.%20Already%2C%20there%20is%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html%3Freference%3DIPOL_STU%25282015%2529510016%22%3Eevidence%3C/a%3E%20to%20suggest%20that%20some%20students%20are%20losing%20out%3A%20Children%20with%20disabilities%20are%20being%20turned%20away%20from%20mainstream%20schools%20because%20these%20schools%20lack%20the%20supports%20to%20cater%20for%20them%3B%20Traveller%20children%20are%20disproportionally%20affected%20by%20the%20withdrawal%20of%20extra%20school%20transport%20assistance%2C%20as%20they%20often%20have%20to%20travel%20long%20distances%20to%20school%20due%20to%20discrimination.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html%3Freference%3DIPOL_STU%25282015%2529510016%22%3EThere%20is%20evidence%3C/a%3E%20that%20failing%20to%20finish%20school%20may%20lead%20to%20lifelong%20disadvantage.%20The%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22https%3A//www.education.ie/en/Schools-Colleges/Services/DEIS-Delivering-Equality-of-Opportunity-in-Schools-/%22%3EDEIS%20school%20programme%3C/a%3E%20was%20designed%20to%20combat%20educational%20disadvantage%20by%20providing%20supports%20to%20students%20in%20disadvantaged%20areas.%20The%20need%20for%20such%20a%20programme%20encompassing%20some%20852%20public%20schools%20at%20primary%20and%20secondary%20levels%20is%20indicative%20of%20the%20fact%20that%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.cori.ie/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/education.pdf%22%3EIreland%20has%20a%20two-tier%20educational%20system%20where%20inequality%20of%20educational%20outcome%20is%20the%20norm%3C/a%3E.%20However%2C%20the%20success%20of%20this%20scheme%20in%20delivering%20equality%20of%20opportunity%20in%20education%20is%20being%20undermined%20by%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/project-cuts-increase-risk-of-students-dropping-out-of-school-269192.html%22%3Ecuts%20to%20programmes%20such%20as%20the%20Student%20Completion%20Programme%3C/a%3E%20and%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.irishtimes.com/news/education/poorer-students-being-locked-out-of-third-level-charity-says-1.1990921%22%3Ethird-level%20student%20grant%20supports%3C/a%3E.%20Ensuring%20that%20children%20receive%20a%20good%20quality%20education%20that%20leads%20successfully%20to%20higher%20education%20and%20training%20for%20all%20students%20should%20always%20be%20at%20the%20centre%20of%20policy%20decisions%20if%20the%20Government%20is%20intent%20on%20realising%20its%20human%20rights%20obligations.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFor%20third-level%20students%2C%20the%20rise%20in%20registration%20fees%20has%20been%20substantial%20and%20has%20meant%20a%20greater%20transfer%20of%20education%20costs%20to%20individuals.%20At%20the%20same%20time%2C%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.irishstatutebook.ie/2013/en/si/0159.html%22%3Eeligibility%20for%20the%20student%20grant%20scheme%20has%20been%20restricted%3C/a%3E%20.%20These%20changes%20have%20major%20implications%20for%20the%20ability%20of%20students%20from%20poorer%20backgrounds%20to%20access%20third%20level.%20Delays%20in%20approving%20students%20for%20the%20grant%20scheme%20also%20appear%20to%20be%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.irishtimes.com/news/education/poorer-students-being-locked-out-of-third-level-charity-says-1.1990921%22%3Eforcing%20them%20to%20drop%20out%20of%20third-level%20courses%3C/a%3E.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFurthermore%2C%20the%20%3Ca%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.rte.ie/news/2014/0820/638197-education/%22%3Edisparity%20in%20rates%20of%20progression%20to%20third%20level%20for%20students%3C/a%3E%20from%20different%20socio-economic%20backgrounds%20indicates%20that%20equality%20of%20access%20has%20not%20been%20achieved.%20The%20current%20dispensation%20most%20favours%20students%20from%20better-off%20backgrounds%20whose%20parents%20can%20invest%20in%20school%20fees%20or%20extra%20tuition%20to%20achieve%20optimum%20exam%20results.%20Current%20education%20policy%20is%20not%20in%20keeping%20with%20Ireland%E2%80%99s%20human%20rights%20obligations%20to%20make%20education%20generally%20available%20and%20accessible%20to%20all%20by%20every%20appropriate%20means.%20The%20net%20result%20of%20discouraging%20people%20from%20disadvantaged%20backgrounds%20to%20attend%20third%20level%20is%20a%20human%20rights%20failure%20and%20means%20that%20one%20of%20the%20core%20purposes%20of%20our%20education%20system%20is%20not%20being%20realised.%20This%20group%20is%20being%20locked%20out%20of%20higher%20education%2C%20calling%20a%20halt%20to%20one%20of%20the%20most%20effective%20means%20of%20social%20progression.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETo%20fully%20vindicate%20human%20rights%20in%20the%20context%20of%20the%20right%20to%20education%20under%20Article%2013%2C%20Ireland%20needs%20to%20remove%20financial%20barriers%20to%20education%20that%20are%20disproportionately%20affecting%20students%20from%20disadvantaged%20backgrounds.%20The%20State%20must%20provide%20adequate%20supports%20to%20families%20to%20cover%20the%20cost%20of%20a%20new%20school%20year%2C%20or%20to%20young%20people%20who%20for%20financial%20reasons%20cannot%20progress%20to%20third%20level%20and%20realise%20their%20potential.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C/p%3E]

Posted in: education

Collective Complaint on housing conditions in Ireland speaks volumes about the State’s legal human rights obligations

Posted on April 16, 2015

Generic Image - Stairway
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Access to justice and under-reporting of discrimination in Ireland

Posted on April 02, 2015

Stock Image - Discrimination/Marginalisation
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Posted in: equalitydiscrimination

Cultural cowardice

Posted on March 27, 2015

By Ben Heine
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Posted in: cultural rightscommunity

An abdication of duty: How state policy sacrifices public health for corporate wealth.

Posted on March 19, 2015

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Posted in: healthchildrenfood

A New Policy Framework for Local and Community Development

Posted on March 13, 2015

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Posted in: community developmentlocal government

Enabling older people to attain their basic rights

Posted on March 03, 2015

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Posted in: ageaction

A Matter of Survival: Ireland’s Health System in the Age of Austerity

Posted on February 24, 2015

Publication cover - Right to health sheet
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An bhfuil cead agam dul go dtí na tithí cúirte le do thoil?

Posted on February 12, 2015

Generic Image - Inside Courtroom (Black & White)
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