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Irish Aid

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 February 2019

Tuesday, 12 February 2019

Ceisteanna (124)

Clare Daly

Ceist:

124. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the compliance of Irish Aid in regard to public sector equality duties and specifically if its volunteer rosters are equipped for disabled volunteers; if the rosters possess independent appeal processes that include disability in regard to volunteer membership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6596/19]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including its Development Cooperation and Africa Division, is fully compliant with its duties under article 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act, 2014, which provides that a public body shall in the performance of its functions have regard to the need to: (a) eliminate discrimination; (b) promote equality of opportunity and treatment of its staff and the persons to whom it provides services and (c) protect the human rights of its members, staff and the persons to whom it provides services. It should be noted that as volunteer roster members are neither members of the Department’s staff, nor persons to whom the Department provides a service, the article 42 provision cited above does not apply. Nonetheless, consistent with the approach of the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty, in the event of any candidate with a disability requesting a reasonable accommodation at the time of application, such a request would be given full and thorough consideration.

As stated in the response to Parliamentary Question 58 of 7 February 2019, Ireland's policy on overseas volunteering is set out in the Volunteering Initiative, which promotes skills-based, sustainable volunteering overseas, working in partnership with third parties. The forthcoming launch of a new White Paper on International Development provides an opportunity to review our approach to overseas volunteering to ensure that it keeps pace with the evolving discourse on volunteering for development, and also with the development of best practice on promoting equality and diversity at home and abroad. The Department will consult with relevant stakeholders to take this work forward.

The arrangements for volunteer roster members, and for volunteer roster appeals processes have been set out in the responses to previous Parliamentary Questions, including No. 65 of 6 February 2019, No. 58 of 7 February 2019 and No. 60 of 23 January 2019.

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