COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2025 Rule of Law Report Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Ireland Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2025 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union
Date: 2025-07-08
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: Ireland, administrative transparency, corruption, democracy, freedom of the press, human rights, independence of the judiciary, pluralism in the media, rule of law, whistleblowing

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Strasbourg, 8.7.2025  SWD(2025) 907 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2025 Rule of Law Report                Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Ireland Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2025 Rule of Law Report                  The rule of law situation in the European Union {COM(2025) 900 final} - {SWD(2025) 901 final} - {SWD(2025) 902 final} - {SWD(2025) 903 final} - {SWD(2025) 904 final} - {SWD(2025) 905 final} - {SWD(2025) 906 final} - {SWD(2025) 908 final} - {SWD(2025) 909 final} - {SWD(2025) 910 final} - {SWD(2025) 911 final} - {SWD(2025) 912 final} - {SWD(2025) 913 final} - {SWD(2025) 914 final} - {SWD(2025) 915 final} - {SWD(2025) 916 final} - {SWD(2025) 917 final} - {SWD(2025) 918 final} - {SWD(2025) 919 final} - {SWD(2025) 920 final} - {SWD(2025) 921 final} - {SWD(2025) 922 final} - {SWD(2025) 923 final} - {SWD(2025) 924 final} - {SWD(2025) 925 final} - {SWD(2025) 926 final} - {SWD(2025) 927 final} - {SWD(2025) 928 final} - {SWD(2025) 929 final} - {SWD(2025) 930 final} - {SWD(2025) 931 final}  
 
 
ABSTRACT 

Reforms  aimed  at  enhancing  the  independence  and  quality  of  the  justice  system  in  Ireland 
continued and companies perceive its independence as very high. The Judicial Appointments 
Commission,  established  to  reduce  political  influence  in  the  appointment  and  promotion  of 
judges, has  started its  work. Further steps have  been taken to  reduce the costs of litigation, 
with  work  to  learn  from  the  development  of  scales  of  fees  in  environmental  and  planning 
judicial  review  cases  underway,  and  a  Civil  Reform  Bill  is  under  preparation.  A  general 
review of the civil legal aid scheme has been completed and a reform of the criminal legal aid 
system  is  being  prepared.  Steps  are  planned  to  ensure  better  access  to  justice,  though 
concerns persist about the length of proceedings. There remain questions about the need for 
additional safeguards for employment conditions for the judiciary. A follow-up to the report 
on the Offences Against the State Acts as regards the operation of the Special Criminal Court 
remains  to  be  decided  by  the  Government.  There  are  no  defined  indicators  available  to 
measure  the  length  of  proceedings  in  the  different  courts.  The  new  law  providing  for  the 
establishment  of  an  independent  assessment  procedure  to  assess  claims  for  cases  of 
excessively long court proceedings is expected to enter into force in 2025. Further measures 
to improve digitalisation of justice are being implemented.    

Ireland  continues  to  have  an  efficient  framework  for  both  the  prevention  of  corruption  and 
enforcement  of  anti-corruption  regulations.  The  publication  of  the  draft  multiannual  anti-
corruption  strategy  is  delayed.  While  the  cooperation  among  responsible  authorities  is 
smooth,  insufficient  resources  and  specialisation  remain  a  challenge  for  investigating  and 
prosecuting corruption cases. Awareness-raising activities and training measures on integrity 
improved,  and  new  structures  and  processes  are  being  set  up  to  strengthen  integrity  and  to 
enhance  accountability  of  the  police.  The  reform  of  the  existing  framework  for  Ethics  in 
Public Office, including the digitalisation of asset declarations, is at an advanced preparatory 
stage. The Lobbying register was extended to include information about lobbying activities at 
the level of senior officials in high-level bodies. New legislation aims to mitigate risks in the 
planning and development sectors. 

The media regulator functions independently and relies on a self-financing system ensuring 
adequate  resources  to  carry  out  its  growing  regulatory  competences.  The  Government  put 
forward  a  legislative  proposal  to  reform  the  funding  system  for  public  service  media  and 
enhance  their  accountability  and  independence.  The  Government  is  developing  new 
legislation  in  several  areas,  including  media  market  concentrations,  media  ownership 
transparency and state advertising as well as new initiatives to financially support the media 
industry  and  public-interest  content,  while  the  media  regulator  adopted  new  rules  updating 
the  regulatory  framework  for  services  offering  audiovisual  content.  Existing  cooperation 
initiatives  continue  to  ensure  the  overall  safety  of  journalists  although  threats  against 
reporters covering protests have increased. Work on the reform of the defamation regime is 
ongoing, with a draft bill currently under discussion in Parliament.  

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has new tasks but is concerned that extra 
resources  have  not  followed.  The  civic  space  in  Ireland  remains  open.  The  Electoral 
Commission  is  committed  to  a  review  of  the  Electoral  Act  1997  which  will  encompass 
consideration of the issues around funding for civil society organisations. Different initiatives 
to promote a rule of law culture have been brought forward. 

1 

 
 
 
RECOMMENDATIONS 

Overall, concerning the recommendations in the 2024 Rule of Law Report, Ireland has made: 

•  Some further progress on taking forward the necessary legislative work aimed at reducing 
litigation  costs  to  ensure  effective  access  to  justice,  taking  into  account  European 
standards on disproportionate costs of litigation and their impact on access to courts. 
•  Some  further  progress  on  strengthening  the  existing  ethics  framework,  including  the 
monitoring and enforcement capacity of the Standards in Public Office Commission, and 
limited progress on strengthening and digitalising the asset declarations system. 

•  Some  further  progress  on  completing  the  reform  of  the  Defamation  Act  to  improve  the 
professional  environment  for  journalists  taking  into  account  European  standards  on  the 
protection of journalists. 

•  Some progress on ensuring that rules or mechanisms are in place to provide funding for 
public service media that is appropriate for the realisation of its public service remit while 
guaranteeing its independence. 

•  Some further progress on addressing legal obstacles related to access to funding for civil 

society organisations, as part of the reform of the Electoral Act. 

On this basis, and considering other developments that took place in the period of reference, 
it is recommended to Ireland to: 

•  Take  forward  the  legislative  work  aimed  at  reducing  litigation  costs  to  ensure  effective 
access  to  justice,  taking  into  account  European  standards  on  disproportionate  costs  of 
litigation and their impact on access to courts.  

•  Continue  efforts  to  strengthen  the  existing  ethics  framework,  including  the  monitoring 
and  enforcement  capacity  of  the  Standards  in  Public  Office  Commission,  and  to 
strengthen and digitalise the asset declarations system. 

•  Complete the reform  to  provide funding for public service media that is  appropriate for 

the realisation of its public service remit while guaranteeing its independence. 

•  Finalise  the  reform  of  the  Defamation  Act  to  improve  the  professional  environment  for 

journalists taking into account European standards on the protection of journalists. 

•  Continue ongoing efforts to address legal obstacles related to access to funding for civil 

society organisations, as part of the reform of the Electoral Act. 

2 

 
 
 
I. 

JUSTICE SYSTEM1   

Independence  

The level of perceived judicial independence in Ireland continues to be high among the 
general  public  and  very  high  among  companies.  Overall,  72%  of  the  general  population 
and 79% of companies perceive the level of independence of courts and judges to be ‘fairly 
or  very  good’  in  20252.  The  perceived  judicial  independence  among  the  general  public 
remains at  the same level  as in  2024 (72%), and has slightly decreased in  comparison  with 
2021 (73%). The perceived judicial independence among companies has slightly increased in 
comparison with 2024 (78%), and has increased in comparison with 2021 (76%).   

The  Judicial  Appointments  Commission  was  established  and  started  its  work.  On  1 
January  2025,  the  Judicial  Appointments  Commission  Act  2023  came  fully  into  force,  and 
the Judicial Appointments Commission took office3. It has a key role in judicial appointments 
and interviews of all judges applying for promotion. Once a judicial vacancy is published, the 
Judicial  Appointments  Commission  will  consider  the  applications  received,  shortlist  and 
interview candidates and establish recommendations for appointment. The Government may 
only  nominate  for  appointment  candidates  who  have  been  recommended  by  the  Judicial 
Appointments Commission. Appointment is made by the President of Ireland.  

Quality  

There  was  some  further  progress  on  the  recommendation  to  reduce  litigation  costs  as 
new  guidelines  to  set  clear  fee  scales  and  a  Civil  Reform  Bill  are  under  preparation4. 
Concerns on the issues  of costs linked to  litigation persist5, and stakeholders underline that 
the  particularities  of  Ireland  as  a  common  law  jurisdiction  need  to  be  considered  in  this 
context6.  The  2025  Programme  for  Government  commits  to  address  the  issue  of  litigation 
costs7  and  to  take  further  steps  to  resolve  cases  outside  court.  Following  the  publication  in 
2024  of  a  report  containing  an  independent  examination  of  possible  models  to  control 
litigation costs8, officials from the Department of Justice are engaging with and utilising the 
data and learning emerging from  the work  of the  Department of Environment, Climate and 
Communications  to  develop  a  scale  of  fees  for  judicial  review  applicants  in  environmental 
and  planning  law  as  a  first/pilot  step  in  developing  options  that  can  have  more  general 
application9.  The  Department  of  the  Climate,  Energy  and  Environment  is  leading  on  the 

1   An overview of the institutional framework for all four pillars can be found here.  
2   Figures  50  and  52,  2025 EU  Justice  Scoreboard and  Figures 49 and  51,  2023 EU  Justice  Scoreboard. The 
level  of  perceived  judicial  independence  is  categorised  as  follows:  very  low  (below  30%  of  respondents 
perceive judicial independence as fairly good and very good); low (between 30-39%), average (between 40-
59%), high (between 60-75%), very high (above 75%).  

3    As highlighted by previous Rule of Law  Reports, although the composition of the Judicial Appointments 
Commission  remains  unchanged  and  is  not  drawn  in  substantial  part  from  the  judiciary,  the  new  Act 
reduced political influence in the judicial appointment procedure. 

4   The  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  to  Ireland  to  “take  forward  the  necessary  legislative  work 
aimed  at  reducing  litigation  costs  to  ensure  effective  access  to  justice,  taking  into  account  European 
standards on disproportionate costs of litigation and their impact on access to courts”. 

5    The Irish Environmental Network (2025), written input, p. 12; country visit Ireland, ISME and Competition 

and Consumer Protection Commission. 

6    The Bar of Ireland (2025), written input, p. 16. 
7  
Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 8. 
8   2024 Rule of Law Report, Ireland, p. 6. 
9  

Irish Government (2025f), p. 2. 

3 

 
 
 
establishment  of  the  scale  of  fees  and  an  Environmental  Legal  Costs  Financial  Assistance 
Mechanism,  and  these  models  have  been  legislated  for  in  the  newly  enacted  Planning  and 
Development Act 202410. On this basis, the aim is to develop more policy options to reduce 
litigation costs for businesses, individuals and the State, taking into account their impact on 
the quality of services and the need to ensure access to justice and the efficiency of the legal 
system11. Other reforms  to civil  proceedings that  will aim to  reduce litigation costs include 
amendments  to  the  system  of  discovery  in  civil  proceedings.  A  Civil  Reform  Bill  is  under 
preparation,  which  aims  to  give  effect  to  some  of  the  recommendations  contained  in  the 
Report  of  the  Review  of  the  Administration  of  Civil  Justice12.  On  19  September  2024,  the 
Report of the Interdepartmental Working Group on the Rising Cost of Health-Related Claims 
was published and a working group tasked with the implementation of its recommendations 
was  established.  Overall,  some  further  progress  has  been  made  on  the  recommendation  on 
reducing litigation costs to ensure effective access to justice. 

A general review of the Civil Legal Aid scheme has been completed and a reform of the 
criminal  legal  aid  system  is  envisaged.  An  independent  review  group  has  concluded  its 
review of the Civil Legal Aid Scheme and the Department of Justice is currently examining 
the outputs of that Review13. Stakeholders continue to share concerns about the current civil 
legal  aid  system,  highlighting  that  progress  on  its  review,  including  the  publication  of  the 
report on this matter, is urgently needed14. Legal practitioners consider that the civil legal aid 
system  is  under-resourced  and  unfit  to  properly  ensure  access  to  justice  for  the  most 
vulnerable citizens15. However, over the last decade there has been a large increase in annual 
investment for the Legal Aid Board, which is the statutory, independent body responsible for 
the  provision  of  civil  legal  aid  and  advice16.  During  2024,  criminal  barristers  called  for  a 
reform of the criminal legal aid system, including the determination of their fees17. The 2025 
Programme for Government commits to reform the operation of the criminal legal aid system 
and fully restore criminal legal aid fees, and also to enact a Legal Aid Bill that would ensure 
the  assessment  of  financial  means,  including  powers  to  restrict  or  facilitate  recoupment  of 
legal aid. There has also been a large increase in investment in Criminal Legal Aid with the 
budget allocation increasing by 91% or €42.4m between 2015 and 202518. 

Measures  to  improve  access  to  justice  are  planned  and  an  appropriate  structure  to 
discuss  questions  concerning  constitutional  safeguards  for  the  judiciary  in  connection 
with employment conditions has not yet been established19. Ireland remains the Member 
State with  the lowest  number of judges per capita20. The Government  has agreed to  further 
increase  the  number  of  judges  by  57%  in  the  period  2012-2025,  which  is  over  three  times 

Irish Government (2025f), p. 2. 

10 
11   Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 8. In this context, the need to facilitate the resort to Alternative 
Dispute Resolution (ADR)  mechanisms, as less costly and more flexible options, has been raised by Law 
Society of Ireland, ISME and Chambers Ireland in the country visit to Ireland. 

12   Country visit Ireland, Department of Justice. 
13   Irish Government (2025f), p. 3.  
14   Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2025), p. 486. 
15   The  Bar of Ireland (2025), written input, p. 7; The Irish Environmental Network (2025), written input, p. 

12; Country visit Ireland, Law Society of Ireland. 

16  Annual  funding  for  the  Legal  Aid  Board  has  risen  by  97%,  or  €31.7m,  between  2015  and  2025.  Irish 

Government (2025f), p. 5. 

Irish Government (2025f), p. 3. 

17   The Bar of Ireland (2025), written input, pp. 7-8. 
18 
19   2024 Rule of Law Report, Ireland, p. 7. 
20   2025 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figure 37 (number of judges per 100 000 inhabitants). 

4 

 
 
 
greater than the level of population growth over the same timeframe21. The 2025 Programme 
for  Government  provides  for  the  appointment  of  20  additional  judges  and  a  review  of  the 
Courts  Service  and  the  Legal  Services  Regulatory  Authority  by  2026.  On  13  May  2025, 
Ireland  signed  the  Council  of  Europe  Convention  for  the  Protection  of  the  Profession  of 
Lawyer.  The  Bar  of  Ireland  has  underlined  the  need  for  an  appropriate  family  law  courts 
infrastructure to  be in  place, to ensure successful implementation  of the  Family  Courts Act 
202422. The Government has committed to publish an implementation plan for a new Family 
Court  system  by  2026.  Stakeholders  have  raised  concerns  about  the  shortage  of  judicial 
resources23 and the need to address inadequate court facilities, particularly the accessibility of 
buildings24. The Courts Service Estates Strategy 2022-2025 aims to ensure that buildings and 
facilities  properly  serve  the  needs  of  users  while  supporting  the  modernisation  and 
digitisation  of  the  service25.  In  September  2024,  the  Legal  Services  Regulatory  Authority 
(LSRA)  published  its  “Breaking  Down  Barriers  Implementation  Plan”  aimed  at  improving 
equity  of  access  and  entry  into  the  legal  professions26  and  the  2025  Programme  for 
Government  includes  addressing  obstacles  to  become  a  solicitor  or  barrister.  Evidence 
gathered  by  the  LRSA  in  preparing  this  plan  pointed  notably  to  economic  and  other  early 
career barriers for legal professionals affecting diversity and retention27. Stakeholders28 have 
also  raised  concerns  about  the  lack  of  an  appropriate  structure  to  examine  questions 
concerning  constitutional  safeguards  for  the  judiciary  in  connection  with  employment 
conditions,  which  is  a  pending  recommendation  by  the  Group  of  States  against  Corruption 
(GRECO)29, and the effect of the lack of such a structure on judicial independence. The 2022 
report of the independent Judicial Resources Working Group recommended the development 
of explicit terms and conditions applying to judges as a matter of priority30. In the context of 
employment  conditions  and  in  particular  remuneration,  the  Senior  Posts  Remuneration 
Committee (SPRC), established in March 2024 and also covering the Judiciary, will review 
particular senior roles following an instruction from the Minister for Public Expenditure and 
Reform31. 

Further progress was made in the improvement of the digitalisation of justice, including 
e-litigation.  Despite  progress,  there  is  scope  for  development  as  regards  digitalisation  of 

Irish Government (2025f), pp. 8-9. 

21 
22   The Bar of Ireland (2025), written input, p. 7. 
23   Country visit Ireland, The Bar of Ireland, Law Society of Ireland and IEN. 
24   Country visit Ireland, ICCL. 
25 
26    Concerns  about  the  emergence  of  legal  deserts  in  some  regions  in  Ireland  and  the  need  to  better  address   

Irish Government (2025f), p. 3. 

legal training have been shared by Law Society in the country visit to Ireland.    

27   LRSA (2024), p. 16. 
28   Country visit Ireland, Chief Justice and AJI.  
29    GRECO  (2014),  para.  137,  finding  that  the  constitutional  protection  providing  that  judges  were  exempt 
from a pay reduction which applied to other public officials was revoked and amended; recommending that 
an appropriate structure be established within the framework of which questions concerning constitutional 
safeguards of the judiciary in connection with employment conditions are to be examined. In 2024, GRECO 
welcomed  that  the  report  of  the  Judicial  Planning  Working  Group  was  completed  and  a  High-Level 
Steering  Group  looking  into  the  implementation  was  established  but  underlined  that  many  questions  still 
remained  open,  concluding  that  the  recommendation  has  been  partially  implemented  (GRECO  (2024a), 
para. 24-29). 
Irish Government (2025f), pp. 5-6. 
Irish Government (2025f), pp. 5-6. 

30 
31 

5 

 
 
 
justice32.  The  2025  Government  Programme  announced  possible  legislative  amendments  to 
ensure that the Courts and Legal System are digital, modern, cost-effective, and focused on 
the victims’ needs.  On 6 May 2025, the Government approved the drafting of a Criminal Law 
and  Civil  Law  (Miscellaneous  Provisions)  Bill  in  accordance  with  the  General  Scheme  of  the 
Bill33.  The  proposed  Bill  provides  an  enabling  basis  for  remote  hearings  and  electronic 
documents  in  criminal  proceedings  and  surrender/extradition  proceedings,  building  on  similar 
reforms  in  civil  proceedings  as  introduced  by  the  Civil  Law  and  Criminal  Law  (Miscellaneous 
Provisions)  Act  2020.  The  implementation  of  a  ten-year  modernisation  programme34  has 
yielded positive results, including an increase of technology-enabled courtrooms, support for 
remote  attendance  at  hearings  and  fully  remote  hearings,  a  new  digital  jury  system,  digital 
evidence display and digital audio recordings of proceedings. Following the 2023 rollout of 
the  Unified  Case  Management  System  in  the  High  Court,  it  was  also  introduced  in  Circuit 
Court Family Offices in 2024 and the deployment will continue into 202535. From June 2025 
online  applications  relating  to  Family  Law  matters  in  the  Dublin  Circuit  Court  will  be 
accepted via the Courts Service Portal36. In 2024, the Courts Service launched an Open Data 
Portal37, as a central hub for the publication and sharing of Courts Service data. In December 
2024 a new ICT Digital & Data Strategy has been published38. 

A  follow-up  to  the  report  on  the  Offences  Against  the  State  Acts  as  regards  the 
operation of the Special Criminal Court remains to be decided. The Offences Against the 
State  Acts  contain  certain  provisions  on  the  operation  of  the  Special  Criminal  Court.  The 
Group to review the Offences Against the State Acts published its final report in June 202339, 
recommending the Acts’ repeal in their entirety, while keeping some elements in replacement 
legislation,  including  the  establishment  of  a  new  non-jury  court  instead  of  the  Special 
Criminal  Court.  Stakeholders  have  called40  for  the  immediate  abolition  of  the  Special 
Criminal Court, or alternatively, to strengthen the procedure of the Court to ensure respect of 
the right to fair trial41. According to its 2025 Programme, the Government will consider the 
report on the Offences Against the State Acts, retain the Special Criminal Court and annually 
review some related legal provisions.  

Efficiency 

Concerns persist regarding the length of proceedings and the need for a specific system 
to  regularly  evaluate  court  performance  based  on  defined  indicators.  In  2023,  the 
clearance rate for non-criminal cases was 81%, the lowest in the EU42. There is no system to 
regularly  evaluate  court  performance  based  on  defined  indicators.  Data  on  the  length  of 
proceedings  is  still  not  systematically  recorded  in  conformity  with  the  methodology  of  the 

32   2025  EU  Justice  Scoreboard,  Figures  40-48,  the  room  for  improvement  includes  the  use  of  digital 
technology  by  courts  and  prosecution  services,  the  courts  electronic  communication  tools  and  the  digital 
solutions to conduct and follow court proceedings in criminal cases 

33    General Scheme of the Criminal Law and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025. 
34   The Courts Service Long-Term Strategic Vision to 2030: Supporting Access to Justice in a modern, digital 

Ireland. 

Irish Government (2025f), p. 7. 

35   Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 15. 
36 
37   Country visit Ireland, The Courts Service. 
38   Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 16. 
39   Department of Justice (2023a). 
40   IHREC (2022), p. 33; Country visit Ireland, ICCL. 
41   2024 Rule of Law Report, Ireland, pp. 8-9. 
42    2025 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figure 9. 

6 

 
 
 
Council of Europe and the European Commission for the efficiency of justice43. According to 
data on annual reports from the Courts Service, for the High Court, the average length of civil 
proceedings in  2023 was 796 days, an increase of 63  days  in  comparison with  202244. The 
average  length  of  proceedings  for  criminal  cases  increased  in  2023  in  some  instances.  The 
length of proceedings at the Court of Appeal increased for civil cases (to 553 days in 2023 
from  527 in 2022), while it decreased  for criminal  cases (to 426 days  in  2023 from  461 in 
2022).  The  average  length  of  appeal  proceedings  in  the  Supreme  Court  decreased 
significantly (to 329 days in 2023 from 434 in 2022). According to authorities, the collected 
court data are being used for court management purposes, and a 2023 OECD study showed 
room for improvement in  this regard45. The report of the Judicial Planning Working Group 
recommended  that  the  Courts  Service  adopts  a  comprehensive  system  to  collect  data  and 
monitor performance measures46. The Courts Service continues working on the actions aimed 
at improving the data that is made available on court activities and court proceedings47.   

An independent assessment process to implement the right established by the 2024 Act 
on delays in court proceedings is under preparation.  The Court Proceedings (Delays) Act 
was  enacted  on  1  May  2024.  The  Act  creates  a  statutory  right  to  the  conclusion  of  court 
proceedings  within  a  reasonable  time,  providing  for  a  declaration,  and  where  appropriate 
compensation, in cases where people experience unjustified delays in the justice system. The 
Act provides for the establishment of an independent assessment process, under the aegis of 
the Department of Justice, to assess claims for breaches of the right contained in section 11 to 
the  conclusion  of  proceedings  within  reasonable  time.  Work  is  ongoing  to  implement  the 
assessment scheme, which is  expected in  the second half of 202548. Commencement of the 
Act will coincide with the scheme becoming operational49.    

II. 

ANTI-CORRUPTION FRAMEWORK  

The  perception  among  experts,  citizens  and  business  executives  is  that  the  level  of 
corruption in the public sector remains relatively low. In the 2024 Corruption Perceptions 
Index by Transparency International,  Ireland scores 77/100 and ranks sixth in the European 
Union and tenth globally50. This perception has improved over the past five years51. The 2025 
Special  Eurobarometer  on  Corruption  shows  that  63%  of  respondents  consider  corruption 
widespread  in  their  country  (EU  average  69%)  and  23%  of  respondents  feel  personally 
affected by corruption in their daily lives (EU average 30%). As regards businesses, 30% of 
companies  consider  that  corruption  is  widespread  (EU  average  63%)  and  8%  consider  that 
corruption  is  a  problem  when  doing  business  (EU  average  35%).  Furthermore,  29%  of 
respondents find that there are enough successful prosecutions to deter people from  corrupt 

43   CEPEJ data feed the EU Justice Scoreboard. 
44   The Courts Service (2024), pp. 116-117. 
45   This  limited  use  does  not  provide  the  necessary  data  for  the  effective  handling  and  future  planning  of 

resources and staff allocation. OECD (2023), p. 210. 

46   Department of Justice (2023b). 
47     Country visit Ireland, The Courts Service. 
48   Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 18. 
49 
50   The level of perceived corruption is categorised as follows: low (above 79); relatively low (scores between 

Irish Government (2025f), p. 7. 

79-60), relatively high (scores between 59-50), high (scores below 50). 

51   In 2020, the score was 72, while, in 2024, the score is 77. The score significantly increased/decreased when 
it changes more than five points; improved/deteriorated (changes between 4-5 points); has been relatively 
stable (changes from 1-3 points) in the last five years. 

7 

 
 
 
practices  (EU  average  36%),  while  25%  of  companies  believe  that  people  and  businesses 
caught for bribing a senior official are appropriately punished (EU average 33%)52. 

The  publication  of  the  draft  multi-annual  strategy  to  tackle  corruption  has  been 
delayed. Work on the strategy, developed by the Advisory Council against Economic Crime 
and Corruption, was set up in 2022 but remains ongoing53. A public consultation in relation 
to the Strategy was organised by the Department of Justice in late 202454. According to the 
timeline,  a  first  draft  was  expected  by  early  202555.  The  draft  strategy  would  then  be 
submitted  for  approval  to  the  Government.  Transparency  International  has  raised  concerns 
about  the  delay  and  has  also  asked  for  an  annual  report  on  the  implementation  of  the 
strategy56.  

While  the  cooperation  among  responsible  authorities  is  smooth,  insufficient  resources 
and  specialisation  remain  a  challenge  for  investigating  and  prosecuting  corruption 
cases.  The  investigation  of  corruption  offences  is  a  shared  task  within  the  national  police, 
including  the  Garda  National  Economic  Crime  Bureau  (GNECB)  and  its  specialised  Anti-
Bribery and Corruption Unit (ABCU). As already reported in previous years57, the available 
resources to effectively investigate corruption cases are insufficient. The current capacities of 
the  GNECB  and  ABCU  are  still  below  the  planned  staffing,  and  internal  rules  hinder  the 
amount  of  Gardai  that  could  be  allocated/recruited  in  the  near  future58.  The  police  also 
considers  the  number  of  allocated  forensic  accountants  as  insufficient  for  its  investigative 
tasks59.  The  Office  of  the  Director  of  Public  Prosecutions  (ODPP)  is  responsible  for 
prosecuting corruption offences and its Special Financial Crime Unit (SFU) deals with cases 
of high complexity60. The prosecution underlines a lack of resources to deal with increasing 
volumes of digital data in dealing with financial crimes, including forensic accountants61. The 
Economic Crime Forum62 is currently implementing actions under the 2021 implementation 

52   Data from special Eurobarometer 561 (2025). Flash Eurobarometer 557 (2025).  
53   2024 Rule of Law Report, Ireland, pp. 11-12. The ”Hamilton review“ by the Department of Justice (2020) 
recommended the development and approval of a multi-annual strategy and an accompanying action plan 
by Q1 2022. The drafting was then delayed to 2023, 2024 and now to 2025. 

54   Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 38. Country visit Ireland, Advisory Council and Department of     

Justice.  

55   Country visit Ireland, Advisory Council and Department of Justice. 
56   Country  visit  Ireland,  Transparency  International  Ireland.  Transparency  International  calls  for  that 

implementation report of the Strategy to include citizens’ contributions.  

57   2024 Rule of Law Report, Ireland, p. 12. 
58    Country visit Ireland, GNECB. Irish government (2025f), p.15. In February 2022, 125 staff were allocated 
to the GNECB. As of 2025, GNECB has 115 agents, 23 more than in 2024, and 2 sergeants and 2 Gardai 
are  attached  to  the  ABCU.  As  of  May  2025,  the  ABCU  are  working  on  12  active  investigations  with  an 
additional  ten  cases  under  assessment.  Three  investigations  concern  foreign  bribery  of  foreign  public 
officials,  and  two  foreign  bribery  investigations  remain  under  assessment  for  criminal  offences.   In  2025 
one  foreign  bribery  investigation  was  closed  due  to  insufficient  evidence. The  Hamilton  Review 
recommended to ensure adequate resources to the GNECB. See Recommendation n. 4. 

59   Country visit Ireland, GNECB. In order to provide the police with a higher level of specialisation, 4 forensic 
accountants  are  allocated  to  the  Garda  Organisation.  The  recruitment  of  3  more  forensic  accountants  is 
planned in 2025. 

60   Country  visit  Ireland,  Office  of  the  Director  of  Public  Prosecutions.  The  Directing  Division  consists  of 
prosecutors who examine criminal investigation files and decide whether or not to take a prosecution, and 
whether a prosecution commenced by An Garda Síochána should be maintained. 

61   Country  visit  Ireland,  Office  of  the  Director  of  Public  Prosecutions  Office.  These  issues  were  already 

underlined in the 2024 Rule of Law Report, Ireland, p. 13. 

62   The  Economic  Crime  Forum  of  senior  representatives  reports  to  the  Advisory  Council,  with  the  aim  of 
facilitating greater inter-agency coordination, collaboration and information sharing and met five times in 

8 

 
 
 
 
plan  of  the  Hamilton  Review,  including  those  in  relation  to  information  sharing  between 
public  and  private  stakeholders63.  The  Economic  Crime  Forum  has  identified  specific 
trainings  that  the  national  police  may  be  able  to  provide,  although  it  faces  increasing 
challenges in delivering such trainings due to a lack of resources64. Cooperation between the 
Corporate  Enforcement  Authority  (CEA)  and  the  Garda  Síochána  is  established  through  a 
Memorandum  of  Understanding,  which  continues  to  work  well65.  The  legislative  changes 
required  to  facilitate  Ireland’s  cooperation  with  the  EPPO  as  a  non-participating  Member 
State are fully operational, as of 1 November 2023. This was done by way of amendments to 
the Criminal Justice (Mutual Assistance) Act 2008. Ireland’s co-operation with the EPPO as a 
non-participating Member State is operational and working well66. An inter-agency group is 
exploring  the implications of Ireland joining the EPPO. While a formal government decision 
is  awaited  on  this  issue,  the  2025  Programme  for  Government  contains  a  commitment  to 
signing up to the EPPO67. 

Challenges  regarding  cooperation  with  third  countries  remain.  In  2023,  an  amendment 
removed  the  requirement  for  an  act  of  corruption  to  be  an  offence  under  the  law  of  the 
specific place where it was perpetrated (“double criminality”)68. The police consider that this 
change will assist prosecutions of foreign corruption69. As reported last year, the Anti-Bribery 
and Corruption Unit reiterates the difficulty in investigating foreign bribery because of lack 
of cooperation  with  third countries through mutual  legal  assistance70.  In 2024 three foreign 
bribery  investigations  were  closed  due  to  prosecutions  in  other  jurisidictions  or  insufficient 
evidence71.  

Awareness-raising  and  training  measures  on  integrity  improved,  and  new  structures 
and processes are being set up to strengthen integrity and to enhance accountability of 
the  police.  The  anti-corruption  unit  of  the  national  police,  the  Garda  Anti-Corruption  Unit 
(GACU),  is  tasked  with  investigating  and  preventing  corruption  within  the  police72.  The 
GACU is following up on the recommendations of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate Report to 
better develop internal anti-corruption policies73 and delivers an updated learning programme 
and briefings74. A law adopted on 7 February 202475 provides for the establishment of a new 

2024. Irish Government (2025a), written input p. 22. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Ireland, p. 11. Country visit 
Ireland, Department of Justice. 

63   Country visit Ireland, Advisory Council. 
64   2024 Rule of Law Report, Ireland, p. 14.; Country visit Ireland, GNECB. 
65   CEA (2022). The Memorandum has been reviewed in 2024. Country visit Ireland, CEA. 
66   Irish Government (2025f), p.14. Parliamentary question (2025). 
67   Irish Government (2025c), p. 120. 
68   In November 2023, the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act was enacted, amending section 12 
of  the  Criminal  Justice  (Corruption  Offences)  Act  2018.  The  Phase  4  evaluation  visit  to  Ireland  of  the 
OECD Working Group on Bribery was supposed to take place in late 2025 but has been postponed to 2027-
2028. 

69   Country visit Ireland, GNECB. 
70   Country visit Ireland, GNECB. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Ireland, p. 14. 
71   Country visit Ireland, GNECB.  
72   Country visit Ireland, Department of Justice. Irish Government (2025f), p. 14. The total number of Garda 

Personnel attached to the GACU is currently 37 (33 Sworn Members, four Garda Staff). 

73   2024 Rule of Law Report, Ireland, p. 15. 
74   The briefings include preventative practices and the necessity for all police personnel to speak up and report 
wrongdoing. GACU (2025), written input, p. 5. Alongside the Garda Ethics & Cultural Bureau, the GACU 
distributes a quarterly newsletter which provides a summary of criminal and disciplinary investigations in 
respect  of  Garda  personnel.  The  focus  is  on  improving  policing  practice  and  enhancing  professional 
conduct. Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 50. 

9 

 
 
 
Policing  and  Community  Safety  Authority  which  will  merge  the  functions  of  the  Policing 
Authority and the inspection function of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate76. In addition, this 
law  establishes  a  new  Office  of  the  Police  Ombudsman  (Fiosrú),  which  replaced  and  will 
strengthen  the  mandate  of  the  former  Garda  Síochána  Ombudsman  Commission  (GSOC). 
New recruitments and streamlined processes are under implementation77 and draft secondary 
regulations and budgetary matters are currently being finalised78.  

There  has  been  some  further  progress  in  the  strengthening  of  the  ethics  framework79. 
Ireland  presented  a  review  study  of  the  existing  statutory  framework  for  Ethics  in  Public 
Office  in  202380.  Following  the  review,  the  Government  tasked  the  Department  of  Public 
Expenditure,  National  Development  Plan  Delivery  and  Reform  with  preparing  a  legislative 
draft,  which  is  reported  to  be  at  an  advanced  stage  of  preparation81.  The  main  points  to  be 
covered under the legislative draft are expected to include strengthening the legal obligations 
on public officials to disclose actual and potential conflicts of interest, and the power of the 
Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO)82. Civil society organisations urged the new 
government  to  strengthen  the  ethics  framework83.  The  Programme  for  Government  202584 
contained  a  renewed  commitment  to  update  the  ethics  legislation,  and  the  Government 
included  the  ethics  reform  bill  in  its  programme  of  legislation  for  priority  drafting  in  the 
summer 2025 session of the Parliament85. Given the state of play, there has been some further 
progress  on  the  implementation  of  this  part  of  the  recommendation  made  in  the  previous 
years. 

There  has  been  limited  progress  in  the  strengthening  and  digitalisation  of  asset 
declarations86.  Rules  on  asset  and  interest  declarations  apply  to  public  office  holders, 
members of Parliament and a range of other public officials87 under the Ethics Acts88. SIPO is 
responsible  for  delivering  guidelines,  advice,  and  investigating  possible  contraventions. 
Declarations  of  liabilities  are  currently  not  presented  in  an  accessible  format89.  The 

75   Irish Government (2025b), additional input. Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2023, Act 1 of 
2024. S.I. No. 108/2025 - Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 (Establishment Day) Order 
2025. 

76   2023 Rule of Law Report, Ireland, p. 10.  
77   Country visit Ireland, Office of the Police Ombudsman (Fiosrú)/GSOC. 
78   Irish Government (2025b), additional input. These draft Regulations are currently being finalised. See also 

2024 Rule of Law report, Ireland, p. 15. 

79   The  2024  Rule  of  Law  report  recommended  to  Ireland  to  "strengthen  and  digitalise  the  existing  ethics 
framework,  including  the  monitoring  and  enforcement  capacity  of  the  Standards  in  Public  Office 
Commission”. 

80   2023 Rule of Law report, Ireland, pp. 12-13. 
81   Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 19. 
82   Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 19.  
83   Country visit Ireland, Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Transparency International Ireland. Transparency 

International Ireland (2025), written input, p. 10. 

84   Irish Government (2025c), p. 149. 
85   Irish Government (2025d), p. 13. 
86   The  2024  Rule  of  Law  report  recommended  to  Ireland  to  “strengthen  and  digitalise  the  existing  ethics 

framework, on asset declarations”. 

87   2024  Rule  of  Law  report,  Ireland,  pp.  16-17.  Disclosure  obligations  arise  for  the  following  categories: 
Oireachtas;  Office  Holders;  Civil  Service  (designated  positions);  public  bodies  (designated  directorships 
and designated positions) and special advisers. 

88   The Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 and the Standards in Public Office Act 2001 are cited together as the 

Ethics Acts. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has responsibility for these Acts. 

89   Country visit Ireland, SIPO. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Ireland, p. 16; GRECO (2024b), p. 8. 

10 

 
 
 
digitalisation of declarations, which is expected to be included in the bill revising the Ethics 
framework, would ensure a streamlined process for the submission of periodic statements of 
interests,  easier  processing  by  SIPO  and  access  by  civil  society,  as  well  as  support  the 
handling  of  complaints  and  investigations  procedures90.  Civil  society  considers  that  the 
statements should include both assets and liabilities91. The digitalisation of these declarations 
would  be  optional92.  As  progress  on  strengthening  the  asset  disclosures,  as  well  as  their 
digitalisation, depend on the  adoption of the Ethics bill93, with legislative drafting planned in 
the  summer  of  2025,  limited  progress  was  made  on  the  implementation  of  this  part  of  the 
recommendation. 

Amendments  to  the  lobbying  regulation  from  2024  have  largely  been  implemented. 
Legislative  amendments  on  lobbying  entered  into  force  in  January  2024  while  the  new 
sanctions started applying on 1 June 202494. The lobbying register was extended as planned 
by  Statutory  Instrument95  in  September  2024,  taking  effect  on  1  January  2025,  so  that  the 
lobbying of senior officials in high-level bodies will now be reported on the same basis as for 
central  and local government96. The law also includes administrative financial sanctions for 
certain contraventions, including for breaches of the cooling-off provision97, which has also 
been extended98. SIPO conducted awareness raising activities with lobbyists and Designated 
Public  Officials  (DPOs)  prior  to  the  entry  into  force  of  these  new  sanctions99.  While  SIPO 
itself did not consider its resources inadequate100, there is some concern among stakeholders 
in  this  regard101.  As  reported  last  year,  civil  society  organisations  welcome  the  legislative 
changes,  while  stressing  the  need  for  further  reforms  to  address  the  exclusion  of  some 
relevant agencies from the register102. 

The  Electoral  Commission  has  launched  a  review  of  the  political  party  financing 
framework and is expected to publish recommendations in 2025. Political party financing 
is  regulated  under  the  Electoral  Act,  applicable  since  1997.  The  Electoral  Commission  is 

90   Country visit Ireland, Transparency International Ireland and Irish Council for Civil Liberties. 2024 Rule of 

Law report, Ireland, p. 17.  

91   Country visit Ireland, Transparency International Ireland. 
92   2024  Rule  of  Law  report,  Ireland,  p.  17.  The  reform  aims  to  extend  disclosure  obligations  in  respect  of 
ministers, senior advisors and officials who would be obliged to disclose significant liabilities above EUR 
50 000. 

93   Country  visit  Ireland,  Department  of  Public  Expenditure  NDP  Delivery  and  Reform.  2024  Rule  of  Law 

Report, Ireland, pp. 16-17. 

94   As of yet, the application of these sanctions to any individual or organisation has not been required. Irish 

Government (2025), additional input. 2024 Rule of Law report, Ireland, p. 18. 

95   S.I. No. 424/2024 - Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 (Designated Public Officials) Regulations 2024. 
96   Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 24. 
97   2024 Rule of Law Report, Ireland, p. 18, Fn. 144 Section 22 of the 2015 Act set out restrictions on post-
term employment as a lobbyist. With the 2023 Act, a breach of the cooling-off period, or lobbying during 
that period without SIPO’s consent, is a “relevant contravention”.  

98   The  post  term  employment  restrictions  apply  to  Ministers,  Ministers  of  State,  and  Special  Advisers,  and 
public servants prescribed as a Designated Public Official (DPO). In 2024, cooling off provisions have been 
extended to 190 new DPOs in 62 additional public bodies. 

99   All  public  bodies  with  DPOs  were  notified  of  the  Amendment  Act  in  advance  of  the  commencement  of 

administrative sanctions system on 1 June 2024. Irish Government (2025b), additional input. 

100   Country visit Ireland, SIPO. 
101   Irish Council for Civil Liberties (2025), written input, p. 25. 
102   Transparency  International  Ireland,  Irish  Council  for  Civil  Liberties  and  Irish  Environmental  Network 
(2025),  written  inputs,  p.  12,  p.  25  and  p.  17  respectively.  Country  visit  Ireland,  Irish  Environmental 
Network. 

11 

 
 
 
working  on  a  review  of  this  Act103.  In  the  context  of  this  review,  there  are  ongoing 
discussions  about  whether  the  Electoral  Commission  should  take  over  some  of  the  current 
functions  attributed  to  SIPO  with  regard  to  political  party  financing104,  which  should  be 
finalised  by  mid-2025105.  This  review  should  be  followed  by  a  report  including 
recommendations,  which  would  form  the  basis  of  new  legislation,  as  mentioned  in  the 
Programme  for  Government106.  As  reported  last  year,  civil  society  has  concerns  about  the 
current format of the declarations of donations to political parties which makes it difficult to 
access information107. 

Cooperation  between  government  and  civil  society  in  protecting  whistleblowers 
continues  and  the  first  report  on  whistleblower  data  since  the  amended  legislation 
entered  into  force  shows  an  increase  in  disclosures.  The  Protected  Disclosures 
(Amendment) Act 2022 entered into force in 2023. In January 2025, the Ministry for Public 
Expenditure published its first report on 2023 data108 coming from public bodies, prescribed 
persons109  and  the  newly  established  Office  of  the  Protected  Disclosures  Commissioner. 
Some  civil  society  organisations  acknowledge  a  notable  increase  in  whistleblower  reports 
since  the  adoption  of  the  Amendment  Act110.  Moreover,  funding  for  Transparency 
International  Ireland  (TII)  to  offer  information  and  support  to  whistleblowers  remains 
stable111,  while  the  organisation  advocates  for  a  reward  for  whistleblowers,  to  encourage 
them to speak112. 

New legislation aims to mitigate corruption risks in planning and development sectors, 
identified as high-risk areas for corruption. Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption in the 
EU  shows  that  0%  of  companies  in  Ireland  (EU  average  25%)  think  that  corruption  has 
prevented them from winning a public tender or a public procurement contract in practice in 
the  last  three  years113.  80%  of  businesses  perceive  the  level  of  independence  of  the  public 
procurement  review  body  (High  Court)  as  very  or  fairly  good  when  it  is  reviewing  public 

103   Electoral Act 1997. See 2024 Rule of Law Report, Ireland, p. 19, Fn. 148 and 150. 
104   SIPO has supervisory roles under the Electoral Act 1997 (as amended) and the Oireachtas (Ministerial and 
Parliamentary  Offices)  (Amendment)  Act  2014.  The  Electoral  Act  1997  regulates  political  financing, 
including  political  donations  and  election  expenses;  the  Oireachtas  (Ministerial  and  Parliamentary 
Activities)  (Amendment)  Act  2014  regulates  expenditure  of  public  funds  to  political  parties  and 
independents. 

105   Irish Government (2025b), additional input. 
106   Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 51. Research will focus on a wide range of themes, including 
reducing  voting  age  or  voting  from  abroad.  Country  visit  Ireland,  Department  of  Housing,  Local 
Government and Heritage. Irish Government (2025c), p. 149. 

107    Country visit Ireland, Irish Council for Civil Liberties and Transparency International Ireland. 2024 Rule of 

Law report, Ireland, p. 19. 

108   Over 1 100 reports of wrongdoing were submitted, of which 734 were deemed to require further follow-up 

and 211 were related to breaches of EU law. Irish Government (2025e). 

109   Under the Act, the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP delivery and Reform has the power to designate 
competent  authorities  as  prescribed  persons.  The  number  of  prescribed  persons  authorised  to  receive 
protected disclosures is 108. 

110   Transparency International Ireland (2025), written input, p. 13. 
111   Irish  Government  (2025b),  additional  input.  Funding  has  been  increased  from  EUR  285  000  in  2022  to 
EUR 368 500 in 2025 (same as 2024). TII also completed their second Integrity at Work Survey which will 
be published in 2025. 

112   Country visit Ireland, Transparency International Ireland. 
113   Flash  Eurobarometer  557  on  Businesses’  attitudes  towards  corruption  in  the  EU  (2025).  This  is  25 

percentage points below the EU average. 

12 

 
 
 
procurement  cases114.  The  Single  Market  and  Competitiveness  Scoreboard  on  access  to 
public procurement in Ireland reports 16% of single bids for 2023 (EU average 29%). A new 
Planning  and  Development  Act  was  enacted  on  17  October  2024115.  Civil  society 
organisations are still concerned about its potential consequences, focusing on concerns about 
transparency and the implications for corruption116, given that planning is seen as a high-risk 
area117. To address transparency issues, the 2024 Act also contains measures to tackle abuse 
of the planning system, such as dealing with false planning submissions and appeals118. Other 
sectors which have been identified by stakeholders as primary areas of risk for corruption are 
public and private procurement, public utilities and natural resources, match-fixing119 and the 
financial sector120. 

III.  MEDIA PLURALISM AND MEDIA FREEDOM 

The  media  regulator  continues  to  function  independently.  The  legislation  entrusts 
Coimisiún na Meán (the Media Commission) with the regulation of broadcasters, video-on-
demand  providers  and  online  platforms  and  ensures  that  it  is  functionally  autonomous  and 
independent  in  the  performance  of  its  regulatory  competence121.  In  2024  the  Media 
Commission was designated as one of the national public authorities tasked with overseeing 
the protection of fundamental rights  in  the context of artificial intelligence, in  line with  the 
requirements  of  the  EU  Artificial  Intelligence  Act  (AI  Act).  The  Media  Commission  also 
expects  to  be  entrusted  with  further  functions  and  tasks  with  the  implementation  of  the 
European  Media  Freedom  Act  (EMFA)122.  Since  2025,  a  self-financing  system  based  on 
levies  that  the  Media  Commission  collects  from  the  services  operating  under  its  regulatory 
remit ensures its financial stability and independence123. 

There  has  been  some  progress  on  the  recommendation  related  to  the  governance  and 
funding  framework  for  public  service  media124.  In  October  2024,  the  Government 
approved  the  General  Scheme  of  the  Broadcasting  (Amendment)  Bill  (the  General 

114   Figure 59, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
115   The  Act  includes  a  number  of  measures  to  enhance  transparency  in  the  planning  sector  with  a  view  to 

prevent corruption and conflict of interests. Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 33. 

116   Irish Environmental Network (2025), written input, pp. 19-29. Concerns are related to the appointment and 
role of the Governing Board of the Planning Commission (the “An Bord Pleanála”, that will be renamed 
“Coimisiún Pleanála”) and of the Planning Commissioners and Chief Planning Commissioner.  

117   Country visit Ireland, Advisory Council. Transparency International Ireland (2025), written input, p. 14. 
118   Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 39. 
119  Country  visit Ireland,  GNECB. Irish  Government  (2025a),  written  input,  pp.  27-34. Irish  Government 
(2025b), additional input. Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC, 2025), written input, 
pp. 2-3.  

120   Transparency International Ireland (2025), written input, pp. 14-15. 
121   Online  Safety  and  Media  Regulation  Act  2022,  part  3;  the  MPM  2025  considers  the  independence  and 
effectiveness  of  national  regulatory  authorities  to  be  at  a  very  low  risk,  given  the  robust  institutional 
architecture on which the Media Commission can rely, Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), pp. 13 and 16-17. 
122   In particular, it is expected that the Media Commission will take responsibility in the area of media market 
concentrations,  transparency  of  media  ownership,  state  advertising,  audience  measurement  and  right  to 
customise the media offering, Country visit Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán. 

123   From  January 2024  to  December 2024,  the  Media  Commission  also  increased  its  staff from  79  to  200  in 
order to carry out its extensive functions. A request from the Media Commission to be equipped with an 
additional 100 staff is currently under consideration by the Government, Irish Government (2025a), written 
input, p. 43; Country visit Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán. 

124   The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended to Ireland to “ensure that rules or mechanisms are in place to 
provide  funding for public  service  media  that  is  appropriate  for  the  realisation  of  its  public  service  remit 
while guaranteeing its independence”. 

13 

 
 
 
Scheme)125,  with  a  view  to  reforming  the  governance  and  funding  system  of  the  public 
service  media126.  The  General  Scheme  aims  to  increase  independent  governance  of  public 
service media and provides that the Director-Generals of public service broadcasters are to be 
recruited  through  a  public  selection  process  and  appointed  by  the  management  board127, 
without the involvement of the Government. The General Scheme also proposes to upgrade 
public  service  media’s  funding  system  by  entrusting  Coimisiún  na  Meán  (Media 
Commission)  with  enhanced  monitoring  and  assessment  functions.  In  particular,  the  Media 
Commission would be required, every three years, to carry out a review of the adequacy of 
public  service  media’s  funding,  and  would  be  able  to  make  recommendations  to  the 
Government  on  the  level  of  public  funding  deemed  necessary  for  the  fulfilment  of  their 
public  service  remit.  The  Government  would  be  required 
to  such 
recommendations128.  Overall,  stakeholders  considered  the  General  Scheme  a  positive 
development  for 
independent 
governance129. At the same time, there was dissatisfaction130 with the Government’s decision 
to maintain the TV licence fee funding model131. Some stakeholders also noted that, although 
required to respond to the Media Commission recommendations on funding, the Government 
was not also obliged to follow them132, as well as the potential impact that the new funding 
framework could have on the public service broadcasters’ operations133. There has thus been 
some progress in relation to the 2024 recommendation.  

increasing  public  service  media’s  accountability  and 

to  respond 

New  legislation  to  address  media  market  concentrations,  transparency  of  media 
ownership  and  state  advertising  as  well  as  new  funding  initiatives  are  under 
development  while  the  regulatory  framework  for  the  audiovisual  media  market  has 
been  recently  updated.  Public  access  to  information  on  media  ownership  continues  to  be 
facilitated  through  the  Mediaownership.ie  database  and  the  Media  Ownership  Monitor 
Ireland  project134.  A  legislative  proposal  is  under  preparation  to  develop  and  expand  a 
national media ownership database in line with the relevant requirements on media ownership 

125   Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (2024). 
126   The  General  Scheme  was  further  revised  in  April  2025  and  the  legislative  process  before  the  Parliament 
will commence once Government finalizes the formal drafting of the Bill, Department of Tourism, Culture, 
Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (2025). 

127   Irish Government (2025a), written input, pp. 44-45. 
128   The Media Commission will also carry out a parallel annual review of the yearly performance of RTÉ and 
TG4 and assess the appropriateness of their public funding, with the possibility to recommend adjustments 
for  the  current  and  following  years,  Irish  Government  (2025a),  written  input,  pp.  41-42;  Country  visit 
Ireland, Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. 

129   Country visit Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán, RTÉ, and National Union of Journalists.  
130   Country visit Ireland, National Union of Journalists; Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2025), p. 500. 
131   Although the Government committed to  consider offsetting - by means of direct exchequer funding  – the 
possible gaps between the amount of licence fee collected and the minimum level of funding required for 
RTÉ , the National Union of Journalists consider that the TV licence fee funding model is no longer fit for 
purpose  and  fails  to  ensure  financial  stability  of  public  service  media  in  the  long  term. In  this  light,  they 
would  have  preferred  that  the  General  Scheme  had  entailed  moving  to  a  model  entirely  based  on  direct 
exchequer funding from the Government, Country visit Ireland, National Union of Journalists.  

132   Country visit Ireland, Coimisiún na Meán and RTÉ.  
133   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), pp. 5, 8, 10, 17, and 30; in particular, representatives from RTÉ indicated 
that  under  the  new  funding  framework  public  service  broadcasters  would  be  subject  to a  high  amount  of 
burdensome  reporting  obligations.  Similarly,  representatives  from  RTÉ  also  indicated  that  the  correlation 
between the funding and their performance could also pose risks for their functional independence, Country 
visit Ireland, RTÉ. 

134   These two initiatives were launched in 2020 and 2023 respectively and are both financially supported by the 

Media Commission, 2024 Rule of Law Report, Ireland, pp. 23-24. 

14 

 
 
 
transparency set out in the EMFA135. The legislative proposal also aims to revise the existing 
media  market  concentration  regime  in  view  of  the  new  framework  introduced  by  the 
EMFA136.  The  lack  of  specific  rules  regulating  the  allocation  of  state  advertising  to  the 
media, which is carried out under the general framework for public procurement, affects the 
clarity  regarding  the  distribution  and  placement  of  advertisements  to  individual  media 
outlets137.  In  this  respect,  the  Government  is  preparing  new  legislation  to  establish  a 
framework  for  the  allocation  of  state  advertising  and  implement  the  relevant  fairness  and 
transparency requirements foreseen by the EMFA138. The Government also allocated funding 
to  support  the  media  sector  and  public-interest  media  content  through  a  range  of  schemes 
administered  by  Coimisiún  na  Meán  (the  Media  Commission)139.  In  2024,  as  part  of  the 
transposition  of 
the  Media 
Commission adopted several regulatory instruments which updated the regulatory framework 
for services offering audiovisual content140.  

the  Audiovisual  Media  Services  Directive  (AVMSD), 

Existing  cooperation  initiatives  continue  to  ensure  the  overall  safety  of  journalists 
although an increase in threats against reporters covering protests raises concerns. The 
ongoing cooperation between the national police and media stakeholders in the context of the 
Media Engagement Group initiative (the MEG) continues to offer an effective tool for a safe 
environment  for  journalists  in  Ireland141.  The  MEG,  monitors  trends  and  issues  related  to 
media  professionals’  safety,  offers  dedicated  safety  seminars  and  briefings  to  media 
organisations  and  provides  media  personnel  and  media  organisations  with  a  reporting 
mechanism allowing them to inform the national police about concerns or incidents through a 
single  point  of  contact142.  In  2024  a  total  of  25  incidents  were  reported  to  the  MEG  and 
criminal investigations were opened on several cases143. Since the 2024 Rule of Law Report, 
no  new  alerts  have  been  recorded  on  the  Council  of  Europe’s  Platform  to  promote  the 
protection  of  journalism  and  safety  of  journalists144  nor  by  the  Mapping  Media  Freedom 
platform145 However, stakeholders expressed concerns about the safety of reporters covering 
protests as they are increasingly subject to threats146.  

135   Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 45. 
136  Irish Government (2025f), p. 1. 
137   2024 Rule of Law Report, Ireland, p. 25; Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), pp. 8, 10, 26, and 27-28. 
138   Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 44. 
139   EUR 16 million. Among these schemes that are being rolled out in phases, two – the Digital Transformation 
Scheme and the News Reporting Scheme – are expected to be rolled out by the end of 2025 whereas two 
other schemes – the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme and the Courts Reporting Scheme – are already in 
operation  as  pilots.  A  total  of  EUR  5.7  million  was  allocated  to  102  successful  applicants  following  a 
competitive  and  independent  assessment  process,  Country  visit  Ireland,  Coimisiún  na  Meán  and 
Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media; Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 28. 
140   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 6. These regulatory instruments include the Audiovisual On-Demand 
Media  Service  Code  &  Rules  and  the  Broadcasting  Codes  and  Rules,  which  updated  the  rules  for  on-
demand media services and broadcasters in several areas, such as audiovisual commercial communications, 
accessibility matters and protection from audiovisual harmful content, Country visit Ireland, Coimisiún na 
Meán. 

141   Country visit Ireland, National Union of Journalists; Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2025), p. 502. 
142   Irish Government (2025a), written input, pp. 45-46. 
143   Among  the  incidents  reported,  10  related  to  cases  of  online  abuses,  threats  and  intimidations  and  five  to 

cases of physical abuses, threats and intimidations, Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 46. 
144   Council of Europe, Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists (2025). 
145   Mapping Media Freedom, Ireland country profile. 
146   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), country report for Ireland, p. 16; Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2025), 
p.  501-;  Country  visit  Ireland,  National  Union  of  Journalists  and  Irish  Council  for  Civil  Liberties.  The 

15 

 
 
 
 
There  has  been  some  further  progress  towards  completion  of  the  reform  of  the 
defamation regime, which is currently under consideration in the Dáil (Parliament)147. 
In  August  2024  the  Government  published  the  Defamation  (Amendment)  Bill  2024  (the 
Bill)148.  The  Bill  is  intended  to  reform  the  defamation  regime  in  Ireland  and  to  introduce 
safeguards  countering  strategic  lawsuits  against  public  participation  (SLAPPs)149.  The  Bill 
also  foresees  the  abolition  of  juries  in  High  Court  defamation  cases.  Although  the  main 
purpose  of  the  abolition  is  to  reduce  the  risks  of  disproportionately  high  damages  being 
awarded,  some  stakeholders  expressed  concerns  in  light  of  the  role  played  by  juries  in 
ensuring the involvement of the general  public in  determining  matters related to  damage to 
reputation and freedom  of expression150. The Bill had lapsed following the November 2024 
Irish  elections151,  but  was  reintroduced  to  Parliament  by  the  new  Government  in  February 
2025 and included as a priority item in the 2025 Programme for Government152. Considering 
these developments, there has been some further progress in relation to this recommendation. 

IV.  OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO CHECKS AND BALANCES 

The  Irish  Human  Rights  and  Equality  Commission  (IHREC)  has  been  entrusted  with 
new  tasks,  but  is  concerned  that  it  lacks  the  resources  to  cover  these.  IHREC  has 
continued  its  activities,  focusing  on  five  strategic  priorities  in  2023:  economic  equality, 
justice,  respect  and  recognition,  futureproofing,  and  public  sector  duty153.  According  to 
IHREC,  as  Ireland’s  National  Human  Rights  Institution  and  National  Equality  Body,  it  is 
being  attributed  new  tasks,  without  sufficient  resources  to  respond  to  all  challenges,  which 
could  also  entail  reputational  risks154.  IHREC  has  reported  structural  problems  of  access  to 
justice for some vulnerable groups, including disabled people. 

On 1 January 2025, Ireland had 2 leading judgments of the European Court of Human 
Rights pending implementation, the same number as the previous year155. At that time, 
Ireland had no leading judgments from the past 10 years that remained pending as the only 
two  pending  judgments  were  over  10  years  old.  The  average  time  that  the  judgments  had 
been  pending  implementation  was  12  years  and  7  months  (compared  to  11  years  and  7 
months  in  2024)156.  The  oldest  leading  judgment,  pending  implementation  for  15  years, 
concerns the failure to ensure the timely trial of a criminal case which violated the applicant’s 

National  Union  of  Journalists  also  stressed  that  an  increasing  tendency  of  the  police  to  seize  reporters’ 
photos  of  public  riot  events  creates  further  risks  for  the  safety  of  journalists.  In  particular,  journalists  are 
more exposed to harassment and threats from protesters, who tend to identify them as ‘facilitators’ of the 
police.  This  trend  is  considered  to  affect  also  public  interest  journalism  at  large,  as  some  media  outlets 
decided not to cover certain protests in order not to put at risk the physical well-being of their journalists, 
Country visit Ireland, National Union of Journalists. 

147   The  2024 Rule of Law  Report recommended Ireland to “[c]omplete the reform of the Defamation Act to 
improve  the  professional  environment  for  journalists  taking  into  account  European  standards  on  the 
protection of journalists”. 

148   Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 41. 
149   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 13. 
150   Country visit Ireland, Irish Council for Civil Liberties; the Bar of Ireland (2025), written input, p. 17; Civil 

Liberties Union for Europe (2025), p. 481.  
151   The Bar of Ireland (2025), written input, p. 17. 
152   Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 41; Irish Government (2025c), p. 134; (2025d). 
153   IHREC (2024), p. 10. 
154   Country visit Ireland, IHREC. 
155   For an explanation of the supervision process, see the website of the Council of Europe.   
156   All figures calculated by the European Implementation Network (EIN) and based on the  number of cases 
that are considered pending at the annual cut-off date of 1 January 2025. EIN (2025), written input, p. 5. 

16 

 
 
 
right  to  a  fair  trial  within  a  reasonable  time157.  The  right  provided  for  in  the  Court 
Proceedings  (Delays)  Act  2024  mentioned  earlier  in  this  chapter,  will  implement  this 
judgment  once  commenced.  As  regards  the  respect  of  payment  deadlines,  on  31  December 
2024 there was no case awaiting confirmation of payments (the same as in 2023)158. On 16 
June 2025, the number of leading judgments pending implementation had remained two159. 

Around  eight  in  ten  companies  perceive  the  level  of  investment  protection,  a  key 
element for the single market, as very high in Ireland. 83% of companies are very to fairly 
confident  that  investments  are  protected  by  law  and  courts160.  Stakeholders  confirmed  that 
they do not see an issue with investment protection in Ireland. 75% of companies perceive the 
level of independence of the national competition authority (the Commission for Competition 
and Consumer Protection) as very or fairly good161. A limited number of judicial mechanisms 
are in place at the level of the Supreme Court to ensure the implementation of administrative 
court  judgments,  which  include  the  possibility  to  quash  administrative  decisions  for 
continued  non-compliance  with  the  court’s  instructions  to  officials.  However,  these 
mechanisms do not include fines for responsible officials for non-compliance, the possibility 
to substitute the annulled administrative act, or direct enforcements measures162.  

Different initiatives aimed at fostering a rule of law culture have been taken forward. In 
2024,  the  Department  of  Foreign  Affairs  established  the  EU  Enlargement  and  European 
Fundamental  Values  (EEFV)  Fund  to  support  the  implementation  of  eligible  projects  and 
activities in Member States, enlargement countries and through the Council of Europe163. The 
objective  of  the  EEFV  Fund  is  to  support  candidate  countries  in  their  preparation  for  their 
accession to the EU and to promote and protect European fundamental values, including the 
rule of law. Moreover, initiatives have been developed to ensure the promotion of a rule of 
law culture at higher education level.  

Some  further  progress  was  made  on  the  recommendation  to  address  legal  obstacles 
related  to  access  to  funding  for  civil  society  organisations164.  The  civic  space  in  Ireland 
remains open165. As in previous years, civil society organisations have raised concerns about 
the  impact  of  the  legal  prohibition  under  the  Electoral  Act  to  receive  donations  above  a 
certain  threshold  for  ‘political  purposes’  or  from  foreign  donors166.  Stakeholders  have 
expressed disappointment that the long-promised review of the 1997 Electoral Act to address 

157   Judgment of the ECtHR, 31333/06, McFarlane v. Ireland, pending implementation since 2010.  
158   Council of Europe (2025), p. 157.   
159   Data according to the online database of the Council of Europe (HUDOC). 
160   2025 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figure 54. Only 8% of the surveyed investors perceive the frequent changes in 
legislation  or  concerns  about  the  quality  of  the  law-making  process,  and  the  quality,  efficiency  or 
independence of justice, as reasons for the lack of confidence in investment protection. 

161   2025 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figure 60. 
162   2025 EU Justice Scoreboard, Figure 49. The data presented reflects exclusively the mechanisms in place at 
the level of the highest administrative jurisdictions; the same or other mechanisms may be in place at lower 
instance administrative courts. 

163   Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 60. 
164   The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended Ireland to “further continue efforts to address legal obstacles 
related to access to funding for civil society organisations, as part of the reform of the Electoral Act”. 
165   Rating by CIVICUS; ratings are on a five-category scale defined as: open, narrowed, obstructed, repressed 

and closed. 

166   Under the Electoral Act 1997, donations may be received by third parties up to a limit of EUR 2500 from a 
donor in any given calendar year. SIPO has interpreted the  relevant legislation as also comprising  certain 
activities,  carried  out  by  civil  society  organisations,  such  as  advocacy  work  including  outside  electoral 
periods. 

17 

 
 
 
restrictions  on  civil  society  funding  has  not  yet  materialised167.  At  the  request  of  the 
Government,  work  is  well  advanced  at  the  Electoral  Commission  on  a  review  of  the  1997 
Electoral  Act,  including  a  detailed  examination  of  the  legal  obstacles  related  to  access  to 
funding for civil  society organisations168. A  report with  recommendations is expected to  be 
published in  the  second  half of 2025.  Overall, some further progress  has  been made on the 
2024 recommendation. 

167   Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2025), p. 482 and Civil Society Europe (2025), written input, p. 5. 
168   Irish Government (2025a), written input, p. 51. The review is a priority for 2025. 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex I: List of sources in alphabetical order* 

* The list of contributions received in the context of the consultation for the 2025 Rule of Law report 
can 
https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2025-rule-law-report-targeted-
stakeholder-consultation_en 

found 

be 

at 

Bar of Ireland (2025), Contribution from the Bar of Ireland for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Centre  for  Media  Pluralism  and  Media  Freedom  (2025),  Media  pluralism  monitor  2025  –  country 
report on Ireland, https://cmpf.eui.eu/projects/media-pluralism-monitor/ 

Civil  Liberties  Union  for  Europe  (2025),  Liberties  Rule  of  Law  Report  2025  –  Ireland, 
https://www.liberties.eu/f/vdxw3e 

Civil Society Europe (2025), Joint Civil Society Contribution on Civic Space to the 2025 Annual Rule 
of Law Report.  

Competition  and  Consumer  Protection  Commission  (2025),  Contribution  from  the  Competition  and 
Consumer Protection Commission for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Corporate  Enforcement  Authority  (2022),  Memorandum  of  understanding  between  the  director  of 
corporate 
síochána, 
https://cea.gov.ie/Portals/0/Documents/CEA_AGS_MoU_FINAL_%20for_website.pdf. 

enforcement 

garda 

and 

an 

Council of Europe Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists (2025), 
Ireland, https://fom.coe.int/en/pays/detail/11709528. 

Courts Service (2024), Annual Report 2023, https://www.courts.ie/acc/alfresco/2b552955-e0f9-41a2-
80e7-c526d24651e2/Courts%20Service%20Annual%20Report%202023.pdf/pdf/1. 

Courts Service (2020), The Courts Service Long-Term Strategic Vision to 2030: Supporting Access to 
Justice  in  a  modern,  digital  Ireland,  https://www.courts.ie/acc/alfresco/b1bf7300-e162-46cd-995e-
abc042799b87/Strategic%20Vision%202030.pdf/pdf#view=fitH 

Department of Justice (2020), Review of structures and strategies to prevent, investigate and penalise 
economic  crime  and  corruption,  https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/review-group-report-on-
structures-and-strategies-to-prevent-investigate-and-penalise-e.pdf. 

Department 
(2021),  Hamilton 
https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/hamilton-review-group-implementation-plan.pdf. 

Review  Group 

Justice 

of 

Implementation 

Plan, 

Department of Justice (2023a), Offences against the State acts - Independent review group’s reports, 
https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-justice/publications/offences-against-the-state-act-independent-
review-groups-reports/ 

Department  of 
https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-justice/publications/report-of-the-judicial-planning-working-
group/. 

judicial  planning  working  group, 

(2023b),  Report  of 

Justice 

the 

Department of the Taoiseach (2025a), Programme for Government 2025 - Securing Ireland's Future, 
https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/programme-for-government-securing-irelands-future.pdf. 

Department  of 
https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/government-legislation-programme-spring-2025.pdf. 

the  Taoiseach  (2025b),  Spring  2025  Government  Legislation  Programme, 

19 

 
 
Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (2024),  Press Release - Minister 
Martin  announces  Government  approval  of  the  General  Scheme  of  the  Broadcasting  (Amendment) 
Bill, 
https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-tourism-culture-arts-gaeltacht-sport-and-media/press-
releases/minister-martin-announces-government-approval-of-the-general-scheme-of-the-broadcasting-
amendment-bill/. 

Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media (2025), Press Release - No levy to 
be  introduced  without  Minister  O’Donovan’s  agreement,  https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-
tourism-culture-arts-gaeltacht-sport-and-media/press-releases/no-levy-to-be-introduced-without-
minister-odonovans-
agreement/#:~:text=Minister%20for%20Arts%2C%20Media%2C%20Communications%2C%20Cult
ure%20and%20Sport%2C,for%20greater%20levels%20of%20funding%20for%20independent%20pr
oducers. 

Directorate-General  for  Communication  (2025),  Flash  Eurobarometer  557  on  businesses’  attitudes 
towards corruption in the EU. 

Directorate-General  for  Communication  (2025),  Special  Eurobarometer  561  on  citizens’  attitudes 
towards corruption in the EU. 

European  Centre  for  Press  and  Media  Freedom,  Mapping  Media  Freedom,  Ireland  country  profile, 
https://www.mappingmediafreedom.org/category/ireland/. 

European Commission (2024), 2024 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Ireland. 

European Commission (2024), 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2024), 2023 Single Market and Competitiveness Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2025), 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Court of Human Rights, Judgment of 10 September 2010, McFarlane v. Ireland, 31333/06. 

European Implementation Network (2025), Contribution from the European Implementation Network 
for the 2025 Rule of Law Report.  

European 
2024 
eppo.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2025-03/EPPO Annual Report 2024_2.pdf 

Prosecutor’s 

(2025), 

Public 

Office 

Annual 

Report. 

Garda Anti-Corruption Unit (2025), Contribution from the Garda Anti-Corruption Unit for the 2025 
Rule of Law Report. 

respect 

GRECO (2014), Fourth Evaluation Round – Evaluation Report on Ireland on corruption prevention 
prosecutors, 
in 
https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=09000
016806c6921. 

parliament, 

members 

judges 

and 

of 

of 

GRECO (2024a), Fourth Evaluation Round – Addendum to the Second compliance report on Ireland 
on  corruption  prevention  in  respect  of  members  of  parliament,  judges  and  prosecutors, 
https://assets.gov.ie/static/documents/greco-fourth-round-addendum-to-second-compliance-report-of-
ireland.pdf. 

GRECO (2024b), Fifth Evaluation Round – Compliance Report on Ireland preventing corruption and 
promoting integrity in central governments (top executive functions) and law enforcement agencies, 

20 

 
 
https://rm.coe.int/fifth-evaluation-round-preventing-corruption-and-promoting-integrity-
i/1680b1b310. 

Irish Council for Civil Liberties (2025), Contribution from the Irish Council for Civil Liberties for the 
2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Irish  Environmental  Network  (2025),  Contribution  from  the  Irish  Environmental  Network  for  the 
2025 Rule of Law Report.   

Irish Government (2025a), Contribution from the Irish Government for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Irish Government (2025b), additional written contribution for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Irish 
programme-for-government-securing-irelands-future.pdf. 

Government 

(2025c), 

Government 

Programme.                                                                             

(2025d), 
Irish  Government 
Government_Legislation_Programme_Summer_2025.pdf. 

Summer 

2025  Government 

Legislation 

Programme. 

Irish  Government 
Protected Disclosures Act: Information for Citizens and Public Bodies. 

(2025e)  Protected  Disclosures  Act  Statistical  Data  Report  2023.                   

Irish Government (2025f), additional written contribution for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Irish  Human  Rights 
https://www.ihrec.ie//app/uploads/2024/06/Annual-Report-2023.pdf. 

and  Equality  Commission 

(2024),  Annual  Report 

2023, 

Irish  Human  Rights 
https://www.ihrec.ie/documents/annual-report-2021/. 

and  Equality  Commission 

(2022),  Annual  Report 

2021, 

Legal Services Regulatory Authority (2024), Final Report to the Minister for Justice, ‘Breaking down 
the 
LSRA-Breaking-Down-Barriers-Final-Report-to-Minister-for-Justice-Jan-2024-
FINAL.pdf  

barriers’, 

OECD  (2023),  Modernising  staffing  and  court  management  practices  in  Ireland:  Towards  a  more 
responsive  and  resilient  justice  system,  https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/modernising-staffing-
and-court-management-practices-in-ireland_8a5c52d0-en/full-report.html. 

Parliamentary 
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2025-02-05/827/#pq-answers-827. 

question 

(2025), 

n°827 

asked 

on 

5 

February 

2025, 

Transparency 
https://www.transparency.org/en/cpi/2024.  

International 

(2025), 

Corruption 

Perceptions 

Index 

2024, 

Transparency International Ireland (2025), Contribution from Transparency International Ireland for 
the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

21 

 
 
 
Annex II: Country visit to Ireland 

The Commission services held virtual meetings in February 2025 with: 

•  Advisory Council on Economic Crime and Corruption 
•  Association of Judges of Ireland 
•  Bar of Ireland 
•  Chambers Ireland  
•  Chief Justice 
•  Coimisiún na Meán 
•  Competition and Consumer Protection Commission 
•  Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA) 
•  Courts Service 
•  Department of Foreign Affairs 
•  Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage 
•  Department of Justice 
•  Department of Public Expenditure NDP Delivery and Reform 
•  Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media 
•  Garda Anti-Corruption Unit (GACU) 
•  Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•  Judicial Council 
•  Law Society of Ireland 
•  Legal Services Regulatory Authority 
•  National Union of Journalists 
•  Office of the Comptroller and the Auditor General 
•  Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions 
•  Office of the Police Ombudsman (Fiosrú)/ Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission 

Independent business association for Irish SMEs (ISME) 
Irish Council for Civil Liberties 
Irish Environmental Network 
Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission 

(GSOC) 

•  RTÉ 
•  Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) 
•  Transparency International Ireland 

* The Commission also met the following organisations in a number of horizontal meetings:  

•  Amnesty International  
•  Araminta  
•  Civil Liberties Union for Europe   
•  Civil Society Europe   
•  European Civic Forum   
•  European Partnership for Democracy  
•  European Youth Forum,  

22 

 
 
 
International Commission of Jurists   
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)  

• 
• 
•  JEF Europe  
•  Philea – Philanthropy Europe Association.  
•  Transparency International   

23