The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is the lead Department in relation to the Council of Europe’s Revised European Social Charter and coordinates Ireland's national reports.
The Revised European Social Charter is a Council of Europe treaty to promote and protect socio-economic rights. It guarantees rights related to employment, housing, health, education, social protection and welfare.
The Charter lays specific emphasis on the protection of vulnerable persons such as elderly people, children, people with disabilities and migrants. The Charter was ratified by Ireland on 4 November 2000.
Ireland also ratified the Additional Protocol to the Charter providing for a system of collective complaints, lodged by the social partners and other non-governmental organisations recognised by the Council of Europe.
The principle method of monitoring compliance with the Charter is by the submission of annual national reports for examination by the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR). The ECSR consists of 15 independent experts who examine the national reports and issue conclusions on each State's conformity with the Charter usually in January of each year.
For more information on the Council of Europe please see coe.int or Ireland's Country Profile.