More news in brief.
Seminar on drugs in the workplace
A seminar organised by Merchants Quay Ireland with input from Ibec, Landwell employment law specialists and the ESB will be held at Dublin Castle on July 25th.
It will highlight the increased use of drugs and intoxicants in Irish workplaces and risks to employers who do not take appropriate steps to address the issue.
Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act, employers could face jail or fines of up to €3 million where serious injury occurs due to the actions of employees affected by drugs or alcohol in the workplace.
The seminar, to be chaired by Vincent Browne, aims to raise awareness of these issues among employers and to assist employers to address them in accordance with the law. It will examine how to assess whether someone is affected by drugs and alcohol at work; the legal responsibilities of employers and employees; how to develop an effective policy on intoxicants; and how to support employees with drug and alcohol problems.
Visit www.mqi.ie for further information, or contact Hilda Glennon on 01-6790044 or hilda.glennon@mqi.ie.
Ireland reports to UN body
The Irish Government will present its third periodic report on human rights in an oral hearing before the UN Human Rights Committee (HRC) today and tomorrow. It will inform the committee on the measures it has adopted to give effect in Ireland to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
A shadow report on Ireland's performance is being presented by three NGOs: Flac, the ICCL and the IPRT (Irish Penal Reform Trust) at lunchtime today.
This report outlines the Government's failure to reach goals set out in the last country report. The HRC will publish its report on Ireland later in the summer.
A number of other organisations will make representations in regard to Ireland's report, including the Immigrant Council of Ireland, the Irish Family Planning Association and the Irish Human Rights Commission.
Information on the reporting process as well as comment from NGOs will be available online at www.rightsmonitor.org
Study on homophobia
A report on the legal response to homophobia in Ireland has been presented to the European Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA). It was prepared by a team from NUI Galway led by law faculty dean Donncha O'Connell, with Diarmuid Griffin and Padraic Kenna. They were part of Fralex, a team commissioned to prepare a Europe-wide comparative report on homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation by the FRA.
The report looks at the state of Irish law concerning homosexuals, bisexuals and transgendered people under the headings of employment, freedom of movement, asylum and subsidiary protection, family reunification, freedom of assembly, hate speech and transgender issues. It also describes a number of good practices that exist.
The full report is on the FRA website, fra.europa.eu.
Irish lawyers in Luxembourg case
The European Court of First Instance in Luxembourg upheld a tendering decision of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, a European Community body, in a recent judgment. The decision had been challenged by a German company, AWW GmbH ArbeitsWelt-Working World, claiming that the award procedure had not been carried out in a correct and fair way.
Claire Callanan, a partner with Dublin solicitors Beauchamps represented the foundation, while the German firm was represented by Luxembourg lawyers Arendt Medernach, with Irish lawyer Gary Dennis.