Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 29 June 2021
368. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Social Protection the way her Department and public bodies and agencies under her remit fulfil their obligations under section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34863/21]
View answerMy Department and the bodies under its remit have regard to our public sector duty in all activities as provided for by Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014.
The Department’s mission is to promote active participation and inclusion in society through the provision of income supports, employment and other services. Our Statement of Strategy 2020-2023 outlines our ongoing commitment to ensuring that the Department’s services and information are accessible to all service users and are compliant with its public sector human rights and equality duty. This approach is central to the manner in which the Department operates – by putting the client at the centre of our operations.
Clients are informed of their rights and entitlements. We make sure our offices are fully accessible for all. Information is provided in multiple languages and also in braille and the Department provides translation services including a sign language interpretation service. All information booklets and forms are vetted by the National Adult Literacy Association (NALA) to ensure simple and clear language is used. We are constantly reviewing our forms and information on gov.ie with a view to enhancing accessibility and clarity.
In carrying out its Public Sector Duty, the Department regularly consults with stakeholders. Some of the key events in the Department's calendar include the Social Inclusion Forum and Pre-Budget and Post-Budget fora. The Migrant Consultative forum is a periodic engagement between the Department and organisations working with migrants and is aimed at improving the experiences of migrants interacting with the system. The extensive engagement with stakeholders allows the Department to take various perspectives into account, thereby increasing the quality of its policies and service delivery.
The Department also supports initiatives to promote awareness on human rights and equality, such as thematic events/days for staff and service users, e.g. International Epilepsy Day, Mental Health Week, Irish Sign Language Awareness Week, and Pride.
The Citizens Information Board (CIB) addresses obligations in its Strategic Plan 2019 - 2021 and in its Annual Reports.
Equality of access to information, advice and advocacy is a core principle of the CIB and the services it provides and funds. CIB aims to ensure equality of access by providing services in person, by phone and online, as well as through the Live Advisor service and the Irish Remote Interpreting Service (IRIS). The citizensinformation.ie website has been designed to provide a high level of accessibility.
The Pensions Authority is committed to ensuring it meets its obligations to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of employees, customers and service users as required by the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty. The Authority is an equal opportunities employer.
The Pensions Council is committed to ensuring that it meets its obligations to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of its members as required under section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Act 2014. In this regard, the Council is compliant with the State Board gender balance target.
The Council seeks to represent and protect the consumer interest in the course of its work in order to help to ensure that the pension system has a stronger consumer focus. The Council’s work has also had a strong focus on gender issues as they relate to pensions.
