Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 29 February 2024
289. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the extent to which his Department continues to monitor any breaches of equality legislation of gender, race or sexuality in origin; the extent of progress made towards corrective measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9919/24]
View answerAll public bodies have responsibility under Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of their employees, customers, service users and everyone affected by their policies and plans. The public sector duty assessment and implementation for the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth was published in 2021 and the Department continues to report on developments relating to the implementation of the Duty in its Annual Report.
Discrimination on specified grounds is prohibited by law in the field of employment under the Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2021 and in the supply of and access to goods and services under the Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2018. Complaints regarding breaches of equality legislation may be pursued before the Workplace Relations Commission. The Workplace Relations Commission publishes statistics regularly on its decisions in regard to equality complaints, disaggregated by discriminatory ground.
I am conducting a review of the Equality Acts to examine, among other issues, the functioning of the Acts and their effectiveness in combatting discrimination and promoting equality. This exercise includes a public consultation during 2021 which remained open for contributions until December 2021.
A report on the submissions to the Public Consultation on the Review of the Equality Acts was published last summer and can be accessed here: www.gov.ie/en/press-release/cafb4-minister-ogorman-publishes-report-on-the-submissions-to-the-public-consultation-on-the-review-of-the-equality-acts/.
Work is currently underway on legislative proposals for reform of the equality acts and legislative proposals arising from the Review will be brought forward in the coming months.
The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, which is independent in the exercise of its statutory functions, includes among those functions keeping under review the adequacy and effectiveness of law and practice in the State relating to the protection of human rights and equality, including in relation to the provision of goods and services.
