Publications

Response to the Women and Equalities Committee Inquiry into the Government’s Response to Covid-19: Human Rights Implications

Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission response to the Women and Equalities Committee Inquiry into the Government’s Response to Covid-19: Human Rights Implications.

Date produced April 2020.

Below is a summary of the recommendations.

You can also download the full document through the links provided.

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) recommends that:

• 1.3 the NI Executive Office introduces legislation that will strengthen, simplify and harmonise equality law within a Single Equality Act, taking inspiration from the Equality Act 2010.
• 2.3 the emergency legislation is in place for no longer than absolutely necessary to address the COVID-19 pandemic and the contained powers are only utilised when it is necessary and proportionate to do so.
• 3.5 comprehensive disaggregated data that accurately reflects the spread and impact of COVID-19 across the UK, including Northern Ireland, is developed immediately and is under constant review. The gathering and publication of such data should be standardised and comparable across the UK.
• 4.4 sufficient Personal Protective Equipment is made immediately available to all employees and unpaid carers in health and social care settings who are at risk of exposure to COVID-19 in the course of their work. This equipment should adequately fit the particular individual to ensure satisfactory protection.
• 4.6 triage protocols are developed and implemented based on assessing individual medical needs and the best scientific evidence available with immediate effect.
• 4.8 provision for visitors in exceptional circumstances is immediately extended to relatives of patients receiving palliative care in all settings.
• 4.11 the Health and Social Care Trusts immediately assist women to adapt birthing plans during this time and assist women who wish to give birth at home.
• 4.12 perinatal health services are immediately adapted to assist women at home, including offering telemedicine services.
• 4.18 two-child limit and the benefit cap are removed immediately.
• 4.20 carer’s allowance is immediately increased to meet the needs of carers during the COVID-19 period.
• 4.23 the No Recourse to Public Funds condition is suspended immediately for at least the course of the pandemic.
• 4.24 in the absence of not suspending the No Recourse to Public Funds condition, Discretionary Support payments are not treated as ‘public funds’ for immigration law purposes to enable such individuals and families to be eligible for such payments.
• 4.29 an immediate awareness raising campaign on domestic violence and abuse is launched across the UK, including Northern Ireland. This campaign should be accessible and include clear options of support and assistance available to victims.
• 4.30 in the longer term, comprehensive research is conducted to measure the impact of the pandemic on domestic violence and abuse, identify specific issues and provide recommendations (which are subsequently implemented) for addressing such issues in the future.
• 4.32 additional educational and health and social care support is immediately available for the duration and after the crisis for children particularly affected by school closures, including making broadband and computer arrangements to ensure all children have access to the internet.
• 4.35 where required, additional financial support is immediately available to ensure childcare challenges presented by school closures do not increase household poverty due to loss of earnings.
• 4.38 parents in Northern Ireland are not required to pay childcare fees to childcare providers that are not operating during COVID-19 and that such parents can maintain their existing childcare places. Furthermore, government support should be provided to 5 childcare providers to ensure they can reopen after COVID-19. Ireland provides an example of how this can be implemented.
• 4.39 childcare provision for pre-school ages is provided for children of key workers. Wales provides an example of how this can be implemented.
• 5.2 with immediate effect safeguards are in place to ensure that trainees that have their health and social care qualifications fast tracked have the minimum standard of knowledge and skill required to gain such a qualification and that retirees returning to the workforce have received the most up-to-date training relevant to the role that they will be undertaking.
• 5.4 with immediate effect all health and social care professionals that identified as vulnerable, including retirees that have returned to the frontline, are provided with all the protections needed to effectively mitigate the risk to their health.
• 5.6 with immediate effect when reconfiguring services and redirecting resources, full account is taken of the impact on other vulnerable patients and groups and that full cognisance is taken of the need to ensure the highest attainable standard of health for all is pursued. This includes ensuring care arrangements are subject to constant review.
• 5.8 additional exceptions are permitted and additional specialised support is available to ensure the most vulnerable are not placed in harm’s way, particularly those relying on carers, people with learning difficulties, those experiencing mental ill-health, or subject to domestic or residential abuse.
• 5.10 that restoring the economy and raising revenue, given the increase in public expenditure due to COVID-19 should be done in a way that does not penalise those households on low income and the already disadvantaged, including those with protected characteristics.