Frances Fitzgerald
Question:378 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he has any plans to amend the provisions of the Equal Status Act, 2000 to cover the position of young people. [17963/00]
Written Answers. - Equal Status Act.
The Equal Status Act, 2000, which was enacted on 26 April 2000, provides in relation to the age ground that it is not discrimination to treat a person under the age of 18 years either less favourably or more favourably than a person over the age of 18. However, less favourable treatment of a person who is under the age of 18 on one of the other grounds in the Act, namely, gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religious belief, disability, race – covering race, colour, nationality or ethnic or national origin – and membership of the Traveller community, constitutes discrimination. It is clear, therefore, that the Act does cover discrimination against young people.