Ireland to face questions from UN member states on human rights record

Published: Monday, November 09, 2026

National Women’s Council says the childcare and housing crises breach women’s fundamental rights

Press release, 9 November 2026

Ireland will be facing questions from its peers during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) tomorrow, 10 November 2026. The National Women’s Council (NWC) and many other civil society organisations have provided information to the UN on the human rights situation in Ireland, with NWC saying the housing and childcare crises are impacting women’s rights. NWC also flags that the intersection of the housing and homelessness crisis with epidemic levels of violence against women is having horrific consequences, particularly for marginalised women.

The UPR is a global human rights check-in, where every UN Member State has its record reviewed by other countries roughly every 4–5 years, resulting in actionable recommendations. As well as providing a written submission to the process, NWC also met with representatives from UN member states to flag our concerns.  

Corrinne Hasson, Executive Director of NWC, commented:

“Despite increased public investment, families continue to face high costs, limited availability and unequal access to childcare, particularly lone parents, Traveller and Roma families, migrants, and those in rural areas. This has a direct impact on women’s rights to equality and to work, as it limits participation in the workforce and in wider society, including political representation. The most effective solution to this crisis is a public model of early years education and care.”

There is an epidemic of violence against women, with 14 women dead in violent circumstances already this year. Women’s rights to life, to security, and to bodily integrity are all threatened by this crisis. Ms Hasson said:

“Frontline support services remain under-resourced and have even been under scrutiny from government sources recently. Survivors must navigate separate criminal, family, and childcare legal systems simultaneously, leading to retraumatisation and gaps in support. Research has shown that women and children feel the family law system fails to listen to them. Ireland must implement survivor-centred justice reforms, and frontline services must be supported and adequately resourced to do their essential work.”

With regard to the intersection of gender-based violence and the housing crisis, Ms Hasson said:

“A severe national housing shortage continues to undermine women’s access to safe, affordable, and long-term housing. This disproportionately affects women, with high levels of female homelessness and significant “hidden homelessness”, including women in refuges and Traveller and Roma families in insecure accommodation. Domestic violence remains a leading cause of homelessness for women and children. Refuge capacity remains insufficient to meet demand and unevenly distributed, with gaps in rural areas and several counties lacking provision. Devastatingly, the absence of sustainable, long-term accommodation options limits victim-survivors’ ability to leave abusive situations safely”

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You can watch the UPR from 7am on 10 November here: https://webtv.un.org/en/schedule/2026-11-10

For comment: Corrinne Hasson, Executive Director, NWC and Alex Richardson, Senior Policy Coordinator at NWC

Find here NWC’s submission to the UPR: https://www.nwci.ie/images/uploads/Website_Version_NWC_Stakeholder_Submission_UPR_April_2026.pdf

For more information, please contact Sinéad Nolan on sineadn@nwci.ie