At the Lisbon Summit 2000, the Heads of State or Government set a vision for the EU to become by 2010 the most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. The broadly based Lisbon strategy includes the objectives of furthering equal opportunities and the promotion of social inclusion. While my Department is not a lead Department in relation to the Lisbon agenda, it is fully committed, including through supporting the work of other Departments, to playing its part in meeting the Lisbon objectives both through its participation and contribution in equality initiatives being developed at EU level and through national policy development. For example, my Department is participating in the EU e-accessibility expert group set up under the high level group on the employment and social dimension of the information society.
At national level, the equality agenda of my Department contributes towards the achievement of the Lisbon objectives. Specific initiatives being pursued by my Department include implementation of employment equality and equal status legislation which prohibit discrimination in relation to employment and the provision of goods, facilities and services on grounds of gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race and membership of the Traveller community; supporting the supply of child care through the allocation of £250 million under the national development plan, NDP, equal opportunities child care programme together with Exchequer funding of £94 million to end 2006; supporting family friendly policies in employment, including increased maternity and adoptive leave and a review of the Parental Leave Act, 1998; funding under the NDP of £23.2 million for the equality for women measure; the incorporation of equal opportunities between men and women across the NDP; the establishment of the NDP equal opportunities and social inclusion co-ordinating committee to secure the maximum application of commitments on equal opportunities, particularly gender equality, and social inclusion across the plan; and the inclusion in the NDP of a programme to prepare prisoners for employment after their release.
The role of the Equality Authority in working towards the elimination of conduct prohibited under equality legislation and the promotion of equality of opportunity in relation to matters covered under the Employment Equality Act, 1998, and the Equal Status Act, 2000, also plays a significant part in promoting the objectives of the Lisbon Summit. Furthermore the Office of Director of Equality Investigations provides the main locus of redress of first instance in respect of equality cases.
