Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 26 July 2022
2197. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development the way that her Department and public bodies and agencies under her remit met their obligations under section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 in 2021, including the way that relevant policies and actions are monitored and the way that the obligation is reflected in their annual reports. [41376/22]
View answerThe Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty places a statutory obligation on public bodies, in the performance of their functions, to have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and protect the human rights of those to whom they provide services and staff when carrying out their daily work.
My Department is strongly committed in its work to promote equality, to prevent discrimination and to protect the human rights of employees, customers, service users and others affected by our policies and strategies. This is in recognition of the legal obligations conferred on the Department by section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act, 2014.
All internal and external stakeholders can be confident that their rights under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Act 2014 are guaranteed and that no one will receive less favourable treatment by my Department because of gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religious belief, age, disability, race or membership of the Traveller community. Many of the work areas of my Department specifically address issues such as marginalisation including providing targeted supports for the Traveller community and other disadvantaged groups.
It should be noted that my Department’s Statement of Strategy states that it will meet its obligations under the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 by performing its Public Sector Duty and report on the progress of these actions in its Annual Report.
The Department's annual report for 2021, which has been finalised, specifically records the work of the Community Development Pilot Programme. The aim of the pilot programme is to use community development as an approach to address poverty, social exclusion and inequality, and promote human rights within marginalised communities. My Department is also considering how it can further report on progress as part of future annual reports
There are 4 agencies under the aegis of my Department: the Charities Regulatory Authority, Pobal, Water Safety Ireland, and the Western Development Commission. Obligations under section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 are a matter for the relevant boards and management of those agencies as they are independent entities who manage their own corporate compliance and staffing issues.
