Vol. 571 No. 2
336 Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the extra resources she has authorised to facilitate the enactment of outstanding EU directives; the EU directives outstanding now; the reason for the delay in each case; and when the backlog will be cleared. [21535/03]
While my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has overall responsibility for the transposition of Council Directives 2000/43/EC, Race Directive, and 2000/78/EC, Employment Directive, my Department is addressing the equality aspects of these directives in so far as they apply to occupational pension schemes. Their transposition was due in July of this year.
The directive provide for a greater framework for combating discrimination on such grounds as gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race and membership of the Traveller community.
The Pensions Act 1990, already prohibits discrimination between men and women and I am not aware of any evidence of discrimination in Irish occupational pensions schemes on any of the grounds covered in the directives.
The drafting of the necessary legislation is currently being progressed in consultation with the pensions board with a view to enactment in early 2004.
