Press Release: SENATOR BACIK CALLS FOR INCLUSION OF ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS IN THE CONSTITUTION

BACIK CALLS FOR INCLUSION OF ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS IN THE CONSTITUTION

Labour Seanad leader, Spokesperson on Justice
Thursday 4^th September 2014

Speaking today at a conference in Dublin City University on ‘Judges, Politics and the Irish Constitution’, Senator Ivana Bacik will call for the inclusion of Economic Social and Cultural rights in the Constitution. 

“I believe that the protection of ESC (Economic, Social and Cultural) rights in the Constitution should be strengthened, and further justiciable ESC rights included. This would mean the inclusion of justiciable rights such as the right to healthcare, to social protection and to housing.”

“In February 2014, I was really delighted that, following a comprehensive debate, the Constitutional Convention voted by 85% for stronger protection of ESC rights in the Constitution; and a clear majority also voted to make those rights justiciable, so that citizens might take cases before the Courts where their rights have been breached. This was a truly historic result, and at the time I called upon the Government to accept the recommendation of the Convention and hold a referendum on this issue. Any analysis of constitutional case law in Ireland in recent years will show that the Supreme Court is highly reluctant to enforce ESC rights – it is clear that a constitutional amendment would be required to make guarantees of such rights genuinely effective for disadvantaged individuals and communities.”