The IHREC activity report does not include a dedicated section on the state of human rights in Ireland. The SCA notes IHREC’s response that the 2025 annual report contains an overview of the human rights situation in Ireland by the Chief Commissioner and that since 2025 it has published a separate report containing an analysis of the state of human rights in Ireland which it intends to continue to publish regularly. 

Annual reports serve to highlight key developments in the human rights situation in a country and provide a public account, and therefore public scrutiny, of the effectiveness of an NHRI. They also provide a means by which an NHRI can make recommendations to government and monitor respect for human rights by government. The SCA considers it important that the NHRI elaborates and publicizes an annual report on the situation of human rights and recommends that IHREC continue to publish such a report in respect of Ireland. 

The SCA further notes that the Law does not provide for IHREC’s annual report to be discussed by Parliament. 

While noting that in practice, IHREC promotes visibility on its annual report and maintains regular engagement with Parliament, the SCA recommends that IHREC advocates for appropriate amendments to its enabling Law to establish a process through which its annual report is discussed and considered by Parliament. 

The SCA refers to Paris Principle A.3 and to its General Observation 1.11 on ‘Annual reports of NHRIs’.