Vol. 433 No. 5
20 Mr. Gilmore asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform when it is intended to introduce comprehensive legislation to outlaw all forms of racial discrimination and to enable Ireland to ratify the UN Convention on Racial Discrimination.
29 Mr. Cox asked the Minister for Equality and Law Reform when Ireland will be in a position to ratify the UN Anti-Racial Discrimination Convention; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 20 and 29 together.
The Government's proposed Equal Status legislation, which will be brought forward as soon as possible, will prohibit discrimination in education, in the provision of goods, services and facilities and in the disposal of accommodation or other premises on the grounds of race. In the current review of Employment Equality legislation I am also proposing to extend the prohibition of discrimination in employment to include grounds of race.
In pursuing these legislative measures I will examine the extent to which I can provide for the outlawing of all forms of racial discrimination and thereby enable the ratification by Ireland of the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination. In doing so I expect to build on the work done already by the Inter-Departmental Committee established to examine measures to allow ratification of the UN Convention which has been chaired by the Office of the Attorney General.
