Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 April 2022
153. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment when the next national plan on business and human rights will be published given the last one expired in 2020. [18100/22]
View answerIreland's first National Plan on Business and Human Rights 2017-2020 was launched by the Department of Foreign Affairs towards the end of 2017. Ireland was the 19th country in the world to publish such a plan in response to the endorsement of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights by the Human Rights Council in 2011.
The implementation of this whole-of-government plan was overseen by an implementation group comprised of representatives of Government, civil society and business. Both the plan itself and the programme for Government committed to a review of implementation. This review was undertaken by the Department of Foreign Affairs in consultation with stakeholders during 2021. A draft report was considered at the special session of the multi-stakeholder implementation group on 31 May 2021. This forum included participation by a member of the UN working group on business and human rights, a business and human rights expert from the Danish Institute for Human Rights, and officials from three EU member state Ministries.
The Government noted the finalised review at its meeting on 3 December 2021. It is published on the Department of Foreign Affairs website: www.dfa.ie/media/dfa/ourrolepolicies/humanrights/Review-of-Implementation-of-National-Plan-on-Business-and-Human-Rights-2017-2020---for-website.docx.pdf
Discussions have commenced about how to bring a new plan forward. Officials in my Department will proactively engage with colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs to provide necessary input into a new plan, in particular in respect of the issue of Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence in line with the Programme for Government commitments in this regard.
