Ireland

Section 2: Current legislative and Regulatory Framework

Anti-Corruption [page 13]

“In recent years, United Nations and regional organisations have increasingly recognised the negative impacts of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights. Moreover, the treaty bodies and special procedures of the united Nations human rights system have regularly identified corruption as a critical factor contributing to the failure of States to satisfy their human rights obligations.

The most recent peer review of Ireland’s implementation of the OECD anti-Bribery Convention made a number of specific recommendations around awareness raising and reporting. Since that report, the Government has introduced the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 which provides a robust statutory framework within which workers can raise concerns regarding potential wrongdoing in the workplace. Ireland will continue to follow up the recommendations of the report to ensure that we fulfil our Convention commitments.”

Supply Chain [page 15]

“Exploitation or corruption along the supply chain can have major negative reputational impacts for companies and States.”

Non-financial reporting [page 15]

“The EU Directive on disclosure of non-financial and diversity information (2014/95/EU) 9 entered into force in December 2014. Iit requires certain companies known as ‘public interest entities’ to include a declaration in their annual management report containing information stating material data related to the environment, social affairs, human rights, and prevention of corruption. This Directive will shortly be transposed into Irish law.”

Section 3: Actions

II. Initial priorities for the Business and Human Rights Implementation Group [page 18-19]

“ii. Ensure that relevant public servants are made aware of their obligation to report suspected cases of bribery under the OECD Convention on Foreign Bribery.

xii. Create a fact sheet on the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, the criminal offences in Irish law on bribery, the reporting systems in place for reporting suspicions of foreign corruption and the protections provided by the Protected Disclosures Act to be distributed by Enterprise Ireland to all Irish companies engaged in trade missions.”