Ireland
The Constitution of Ireland has directive principles that contribute to the realization of the right to adequate food.
Ireland has become a State party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) in 1989 by way of ratification. It has signed the Optional Protocol (OP-ICESCR) in 2012, but has not ratified it yet.
CONSTITUTIONAL RECOGNITIONS OF THE RIGHT TO ADEQUATE FOOD
Directive principles of state policy
Article 45.2: "The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing:
i. That the citizens (all of whom, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means of livelihood) may through their occupations find the means of making reasonable provision for their domestic needs."
National status of international obligations
Article 29: "(6) No international agreement shall be part of the domestic law of the State save as may be determined by the Oireachtas."
INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) – 1966
Status: Ratification (1989)
Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) – 1979
Status: Accession (1985)
Legislation and policies recognizing the right to adequate food
Considering that the human right to adequate food can be implemented through a variety of legal and policy actions, we invite you to visit the FAOLEX Country Profile database for a wide-ranging collection of measures that have been taken at national level. Some of the documents you may find are legislation and policies that touch on a number of relevant Guidelines, such as those on Access to resources and assets (Guideline 8), Food safety and consumer protection (Guideline 9), Support for vulnerable groups (Guideline 13) and Natural and human-made disasters (Guideline 16).
