Fair employment in Northern Ireland is an issue to which successive Irish Governments have attached a high priority. We wish to see the eradication of discrimination in employment in Northern Ireland and we regard the question of fair and equal access to the labour market in Northern Ireland as a basic human right for all, regardless of their community background.
In 1989, the then Government made a major contribution, through the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference, to the strengthening of fair employment legislation when new legislation was enacted which amended and expanded the 1976 Fair Employment Act. We welcome the most recent findings of the Fair Employment Commission that the Catholic community's participation rate in employment has risen slowly but steadily since the adoption of the 1989 legislation. At the same time it is encouraging to note that the protection of the legislation is being invoked by both communities.
The matter raised by the Deputy is one of concern to the Government. We received representations on the issue from a number of Nationalist political figures in Northern Ireland who were also concerned at the implications of the case. The British Government was made aware of these concerns through the mechanisms of the Anglo-Irish Agreement.
On 10 March, the Secretary of State, Sir Patrick Mayhew, announced an independent review of the deployment of staff in the private office of the Department of Agriculture. The investigation will be undertaken by the former Northern Ireland Ombudsman, Dr. Maurice Hayes. It is expected that Dr. Hayes's review of the case will be completed by mid-April when his report will be presented to the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. I share the Deputy's concerns on this issue and he can be assured I will keep the matter under careful review. In the meantime, I prefer to reserve any further comment pending the findings of Dr. Hayes's report.