16th April 2026
The Department of Enterprise Tourism and Employment is seeking views from stakeholders on the ratification by Ireland of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) 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.
In June 2022, the International Labour Conference decided to include “a safe and healthy working environment” in the ILO's framework of fundamental principles and rights at work and to designate the relevant health and safety standards as fundamental Conventions.
All Members of the ILO, including Ireland, now have an obligation arising from the very fact of membership in the ILO to respect, to promote and to realise, in good faith and in accordance with the ILO Constitution, the principles concerning the fundamental right to a safe and healthy working environment. This obligation applies even if a State has not ratified these conventions.
Ireland is proceeding to ratification of the two relevant Conventions – ILO Convention No. 187 and ILO Convention No. 191 – taking into account the need to ensure all necessary legislative and administrative requirements under the Convention are met.
ILO Convention No.187 introduces an integrated approach to Occupational Safety and Health (“OSH”) standards, enhancing their coherence, relevance, and impact. Ratifying Convention No. 187 reinforces Ireland’s commitment to ensuring a safe and healthy working environment for all. In addition, Convention No.187 also provides flexibility to suit all national conditions and development levels, so that Ireland can ratify and gradually apply its provisions.
The objective of Convention No.191 is to introduce necessary amendments to other ILO Conventions and instruments which 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. Convention No.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.
Officials in the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment have engaged with all relevant Government Departments and offices, including the Attorney General’s Office, to establish the extent to which domestic legislative provisions already provide for the rights and entitlements included in the Convention.
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.
Further information: Public consultation on the ratification of ILO labour standards
The deadline for submissions is 5 pm, Friday 1 May 2026.
Notes for Editors
The ILO is a United Nations agency which deals with employment and labour market issues. Founded in 1919, it is based in Geneva. 187 of the 193 UN countries are members. The ILO was one of the first international organisations which the new State of Ireland joined in 1923. It has a unique tripartite structure, in which employers’ and workers’ representatives have an equal voice with those of governments.
The ILO delivers its objectives through the formulation of international policies and programmes, the creation of international labour standards, an extensive programme of international technical cooperation and training, education, research, and publishing activities.
ILO Conventions are international treaties established through the ILO’s standard‑setting processes. Any Conventions ratified are legally binding on member states that choose to ratify them. Conventions cover a wide range of labour issues including freedom of association, collective bargaining, forced labour, child labour, discrimination, occupational safety and health, working time, and social security.
The ILO has adopted over 189 Conventions, including ten core fundamental Conventions that protect fundamental principles and rights at work. The ILO fundamental conventions represent the core labour rights recognized internationally, ensuring protection against forced labour, child labour, discrimination, and violations of freedom of association, while promoting safe and equitable working conditions. After adoption, each Convention is open to voluntary ratification, which commits the ratifying country to implement the standard in law and practice.
Convention No. 187 is called “The Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention” and was adopted at the International Labour Conference in Geneva in June 2006.
ILO Convention C.191, officially titled the "Safe and Healthy Working Environment (Consequential Amendments) Convention, 2023", was adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on 12 June 2023 during its 111th Session.
ENDS
Back to Department News