My Department has commissioned the School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice and University College Dublin to carry out research on the question of adding a discriminatory ground of socio-economic status to the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 and the Equality Status Acts 2000-2015.
The research involves:
- A review of literature that analyses the inclusion of socio-economic status as a discriminatory ground under Irish or EU Member State equality legislation, and
- Review and analysis of primary sources, principally in the form of case law and legislative provisions, across the EU Member States.
The findings of this research, the first draft of which will inform future policy in the area of equality, are due to be completed at the end of September 2020. This will be a matter for Minister O'Gorman to progress following the transfer of this function to his Department.