16th April 2026 |
Open Consultations
Stakeholder consultation on the ratification of the International Labour Organisation Convention No.187 concerning the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention and Convention No. 191 concerning Amendments to Standards Consequential to the Recognition of a Safe and Healthy Working Environment as a Fundamental Principle.
The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment is seeking views from stakeholders and interested parties on the ratification by Ireland of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No.187 (C.187) concerning the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Convention and Convention No. 191 (C.191) concerning Amendments to Standards Consequential to the Recognition of a Safe and Healthy Working Environment as a Fundamental Principle.
Officials in the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment have engaged with all relevant government departments and offices to establish the extent to which domestic legislative provisions already provide for the rights and entitlements included in the Convention. Following this engagement, the advice of the Attorney General’s Office was sought. The department has been advised that there does not appear to be any requirement for further legislative provision to be made in order for the State to be in a position to fulfil its obligations under these Conventions.
Background
The ILO is a United Nations agency which brings together governments, employers and workers representatives of 187 member states to develop International Labour Standards, policies and programmes promoting decent work for all. Its tripartite nature is unique in the UN system. International Labour Standards are legal instruments drawn up by the ILO constituents that set out basic principles and rights at work. These instruments include:
- Conventions - legally binding international treaties that may be ratified by member states
- Protocols - procedural devices for adding extra flexibility to a Convention or for extending a Convention’s obligations
- Recommendations which are not legally binding and serve as guidelines to help member states formulate their policy at a national level
An ILO member state has no obligation to ratify a Convention, but if it does ratify, it undertakes to implement the provisions of the Convention and to report regularly to the ILO on its implementation. Reports are subject to review by a Committee of Experts that reports annually to the ILC on the degree of compliance of member states with respect to ratified Conventions
Ireland is a member of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the UN agency with responsibility for labour market matters since 1923. The ILO’s tripartite structure, in which governments, employers and workers have an equal voice, is unique in the UN system. The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment leads on Ireland’s engagement in the ILO.
The International Labour organisation (ILO) has identified ten fundamental conventions that are considered essential for promoting basic rights and principles in the workplace. ILO “fundamental status” refers to a special classification given to certain ILO Conventions that embody the core principles and rights at work. These fundamental conventions are considered universally applicable, meaning all ILO member states are expected to respect, promote, and realise these rights regardless of whether they have ratified the conventions. C.187 remains the only fundamental convention that Ireland has not yet ratified.
Key aspects of the Convention C.187 – Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention
The 110th International Labour Conference in June 2022 agreed a Resolution to include ‘a safe and healthy working environment’ in the ILO’s fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, which elevated ILO Conventions 155 and 187 to fundamental status. Convention 155 has already been ratified by Ireland, and we now propose to progress the ratification of Convention 187 on a Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health.
Convention No. 187 - Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 was adopted at the International Labour Conference in Geneva in June 2006. The Convention is a standard setting legal instrument which aims at promoting a preventative OSH culture and progressively achieving a safe and healthy work environment. ILO Convention No. 187 introduces an integrated approach to OSH standards, enhancing their coherence, relevance, and impact. The Convention is promotional rather than prescriptive in content and focuses on the progress that Member states are making and urges them to make further efforts and improvements.
Objectives
The main objectives of C187 are to promote a National Framework for continuous Occupational Safety and Health improvement. Article 2 requires members to promote continuous improvement of OSH to prevent workplace injuries, diseases, and deaths through the development, in consultation with employers’ and workers’ organisations, of a national OSH policy, system, and program. Members shall progressively ensure a safe and healthy working environment by taking into account relevant ILO instruments in their national OSH frameworks.
National policy
The national policy on OSH, as defined in Article 1(a), aligns with Convention No. 155 and serves as the foundation for promoting and advancing at all levels the right of workers to a safe and healthy working environment (Article 3.1-2). Developed in consultation with employers’ and workers’ organisations, the policy shall promote basic principles such as risk assessment; combating occupational risks at source; and developing a national preventative safety and health culture that includes information, consultation and training (Article 3.3).
National context
The national OSH system, as defined in Article 1(b), is the infrastructure supporting the implementation of the national policy and programmes on OSH. Article 4 requires Members to establish, maintain, develop, and periodically review this system in consultation with employers’ and workers’ organisations. This system shall include:
- Laws, regulations, collective agreements where appropriate, and other relevant instruments
- Authority or body responsible for OSH (or several); X Mechanisms to ensure compliance
- Arrangements to promote cooperation between management, workers, and their representatives at the workplace as an essential element of prevention
Where appropriate, the system should also include:
- National tripartite OSH advisory body
- Information and advisory services on OSH
- Provision of OSH training
- Occupational health services, in accordance with national law and practice
- Research on OSH
- Data collection and analysis on occupational injuries and diseases
- Collaboration with insurance or social security schemes covering occupational injuries and diseases
- Support mechanisms for progressively improving OSH conditions in micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises, and the informal economy
Key aspects of the Convention No. 191 concerning Amendments to Standards Consequential to the Recognition of a Safe and Healthy Working Environment as a Fundamental Principle
ILO Convention C.191, officially titled the "Safe and Healthy Working Environment (Consequential Amendments) Convention, 2023", was adopted by the International Labour organisation (ILO) on 12 June 2023 during its 111th Session.
National context
Ratification of the Convention C.191 would not require changes in Irish legislation. The objective of C.191 is to introduce necessary amendments to other ILO Conventions and instruments. These amendments reflect the inclusion of the right to a safe and healthy working environment in the ILO’s framework of fundamental principles and rights at work (FPRW) in June 2022. C.191 is purely technical to ensure that references to the amended ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998), as amended in 2022 and the fundamental conventions to other ILO instruments remain up to date.
The main purpose of C191 is to update the language and references in seven ILO Conventions and one Protocol to reflect the new status of occupational safety and health (OSH) as a fundamental right.
- Affected Instruments:
- Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182)
- Maternity Protection Convention, 2000 (No. 183)
- Maritime Labour Convention, 2006
- Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187)
- Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188)
- Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189)
- Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190)
- Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930
- Main Amendment: These instruments are updated to reference the amended 1998 ILO Declaration, which now includes OSH as a core principle
Ratification process
Ireland is committed to proceeding to ratification as a matter of priority, taking into account the need to ensure all necessary legislative and administrative requirements under the Convention are met. Ireland is a dualist State, with Article 29.6 of the Constitution providing that international agreements have the force of law to the extent determined by the Oireachtas. It is essential, therefore, that the State is in a position to meet the obligations it assumes under the terms of an international agreement from the moment of its entry into force for Ireland.
Further to consultations with relevant government departments and offices no legal impediments to ratification have as yet been identified.
Purpose of the consultation process
This stakeholder consultation process is intended to give interested parties an opportunity to provide their views on the proposed ratification by Ireland of the Convention C.187 – Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention and Convention C. 191 concerning Amendments to Standards Consequential to the Recognition of a Safe and Healthy Working Environment as a Fundamental Principle.
Submissions
Views from stakeholders and interested parties on the public consultation are requested no later than 5pm on Friday, 1 May 2026 using the following link:
Public consultation C.187 Promotional Framework for OSH C.191 Amendments to Standards
Further queries can also be made to ILOConsultation@enterprise.gov.ie.
Related links
The Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187)
C191 - Safe and Healthy Working Environment (Consequential Amendments) Convention, 2023 (No. 191)
Documents
C187 Assessment Table (PDF, 620KB)
Freedom of Information Act 2014 and publication of submissions
The department will make public on its website all submissions received under this consultation.
Your attention is also drawn to the fact that information provided to the department may be disclosed in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2014. Therefore, should you consider that any information you provide is commercially sensitive, please identify same, and specify the reason for its sensitivity.
The department will consult with you regarding information identified by you as sensitive before publishing or otherwise disclosing it.
General Data Protection Regulation
Respondents should note that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) entered into force in Ireland on 25 May 2018 and it is intended to give individuals more control over their personal data.
The key principles under the regulation are as follows:
- lawfulness, fairness and transparency
- purpose limitation
- data minimisation
- accuracy
- storage limitation
- integrity and confidentiality
- accountability
The Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment is subject to the provisions of the regulation in relation to personal data collected by it from 25 May 2018. Any personal information which you volunteer to this department, will be treated with the highest standards of security and confidentiality, strictly in accordance with the Data Protection Acts 1988 to 2018.
Topics:
Workplace and Skills, ILO