Public Sector Duty

Irish Human Rights and Equality Act

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Act 2014 states that public bodies such as Trinity have a duty to promote human rights and equality throughout all their activities. This Public Sector Duty applies to the body's employees, service users (e.g. students) and everyone affected by their policies and plans.

Trinity’s Strategic Plan 2025-2030 (page 8) states:

“Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, also known as the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty, places a statutory obligation on public bodies, such as Trinity, to eliminate discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and protect the human rights of its members, those to whom they provide services and staff when carrying out their daily work. As a values-led organisation, we embrace our Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty obligations. Underpinned by data, consultation and feedback, we will use this as a lens to identify opportunities and take action to embed a culture of equality, inclusion and respect for human rights across our community and in how we work. Our Athena Swan Charter commitments also underpin this.”

You can read our statement on the Public Sector Duty in Trinity here:

Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty - Secretary's Office | Trinity College Dublin