A delegation of the Council of Europe's Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) carried out an evaluation visit to Ireland from 5 to 9 December 2016. The visit provided an opportunity to assess developments in the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings since the first evaluation by GRETA in 2012 (link to GRETA’s first report on Ireland).
During the visit, the GRETA delegation met Ms Frances Fitzgerald, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Justice and Equality. Discussions were also held with officials from relevant government departments and agencies, in particular the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the Department of Justice and Equality, the Human Trafficking Investigation and Co-ordination Unit of An Garda Síochána, the Health Service Executive, the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA), the Legal Aid Board, the Child and Family Agency (Tusla), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Workplace Relations Commission, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Further, the GRETA delegation met representatives of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.
Separate meetings were held with representatives of non-governmental organisations and trade unions, researchers and lawyers. The GRETA delegation also met officials from the local offices of the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
In the course of the visit, the GRETA delegation visited a residential unit for unaccompanied minors run by Tusla and two reception centres for asylum seekers, Mosney and Hatch Hall, which also provided accommodation to victims of human trafficking.
The visit was carried out by Mr Jan van Dijk, Second Vice-President of GRETA and Ms Rita Theodorou Superman, member of GRETA, who were accompanied by Ms Petya Nestorova, Executive Secretary of the Convention.
Following the visit, GRETA will prepare a draft report which will be sent to the Irish authorities for comments. GRETA will subsequently adopt a final report which will be made public in 2017.
