asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will make a statement on the publication of the recent strategic plan of the Equality Authority. [2926/03]
Written Answers. - Equality Authority.
31.
The Equality Authority was established on a designate basis on 8 March 1999 and on a statutory basis on 18 October 1999 on the coming into force of the Employment Equality Act, 1998. The mandate of the authority is to work towards the elimination of discrimination and to promote equality of opportunity. Under section 40 of the 1998 Act the authority is required to prepare and submit a strategic plan for the ensuing three years. There is also a statutory requirement to have copies of the plan laid before each House of the Oireachtas. The strategic plan 2003-2005 of the authority was laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas on 24 January. I officially launched the plan on behalf of the authority on 27 January.
The plan is a product of a wide consultative process. Submissions were received from a wide range of interests, both written and through regional meetings. Consultations also took place with the social partners. In addition, my Department was consulted in relation to the plan.
I welcome the publication of the plan as it will form the basis for prioritising themes to direct the work of the authority and implement its mandate over the next three years. These themes include: building equality in service provision that impacts on the quality of people's lives; contributing to a more accessible workplace and labour market; developing initiatives specific to the disability ground, to the issue of carers under the family status ground and to the issue of racism; supporting the development of effective equality strategies at national and local level; addressing the specific situation and experience of those within the nine grounds faced with additional barriers of poverty and exclusion; and maintaining and developing the internal structures and systems of the authority.
This plan will be developed on an annual basis by detailed business plans which will set out the deployment of resources and specific actions in pursuit of each objective. Internal reviews will also be carried out on an annual basis and will check on the progress achieved within each of the themes identified under the plan.