Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
412. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform if his Department, and public bodies and agencies under his remit, have an anti-racism policy which can be accessed by the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27679/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty (the Public Sector Duty) is set out in Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014. It is 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 human rights of staff and service users.
Given the nature of the Department’s role, it does not generally provide services directly to the general public or businesses. Nonetheless, the Public Sector Duty obligations impact on the Department’s functions in many ways. To address this, and to ensure that it informs all relevant roles, my Department's Statement of Strategy includes a commitment to “Treat colleagues and those to whom we provide services equitably, in keeping with our Public Sector Human Rights and Equality obligations”. My Department also publishes an annual report each year which sets out its activities in respect of the goals in its Statement of Strategy, including information on the key vehicles used by the Department to address its Public Sector Duty.
Furthermore, the Department’s Customer Charter states that it is committed to meeting its Public Sector Duty obligations under the Act and specifically to: (i) promoting equality of opportunity and treatment of our staff and the persons to whom we provides services; and (ii) to protecting the human rights of our members, staff and the persons to whom we provides services.
The Department’s Dignity at Work Policy also references race in the context of employment equality: “The Employment Equality Acts 1998-2011 place an obligation on all employers in Ireland to prevent harassment in the workplace. Harassment and sexual harassment on any of the following grounds – gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race or membership of the Traveller community – are all forms of discrimination in relation to conditions of employment.” As per this extract, this policy promotes respect, dignity, safety and equality in the workplace. It outlines the Civil Service protocol for dealing with racism, along with bullying, harassment and sexual harassment and my Department adheres to this policy.
More generally, the Department is committed to promoting Diversity and Inclusion initiatives and to working towards creating and nurturing an environment “where staff feel respected and valued regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, age, religious belief, marital and family status, race and ability ” as outlined in our published People Strategy. In line with this commitment, staff of the Department actively participate in organised information sessions on various topics that have included anti- racism and unconscious bias. The Department includes a diversity statement in all its recruitment campaigns and all interview board members are briefed on unconscious bias.
Therefore, while my Department does not have a specific anti-racism policy, it is clear from the information above that equality and diversity are important principles is how it does its work. All of the policies referenced are published on the Department’s website.
The position with regard to the bodies under the aegis of my Department is set out below.
Office of Public Works
The OPW does not have a specific anti-racism policy but to ensure that the Office is compliant with its obligations under Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, the OPW has embedded a commitment to equality in the Values section of the OPW Statement of Strategy 2021-2024. The OPW has also published a Customer Charter which sets out the standards of service that can be expected from the OPW. This also includes specific commitments to equality.
Public Appointments Service
The PAS has an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy which is available on its website and internally the PAS also has an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy. The PAS Equality / Diversity commitments are also set out in its Quality Customer Service Action Plan which is also available on its website.
National Shared Services Office
The NSSO adheres to the Civil Service Dignity at Work policy which promotes respect, dignity, safety and equality in the workplace. It outlines the Civil Service protocol for dealing with bullying, racism, harassment and sexual harassment in the civil service. The policy is available to the public online.
Office of the Ombudsman The Office of the Ombudsman does not specifically have an Anti-Racism Policy. The Office does however address the issue in its “Customer Service Charter”, which is available on its website, under the heading of Equality / Diversity / Disability / Privacy which states that “we commit to dealing with you without discrimination or prejudice” and “we will respect equality and human rights in accordance with Public Sector Duty principles”.
State Laboratory
The State Laboratory does not hold an anti-racism policy which can be accessed by the public, noting that the State Laboratory does not provide services to the public.
Office of the Regulator of the National Lottery
The ORNL does not have a specific anti-racism policy but captures its inclusive ethos in several documents that are accessible to the public via its website. The ORNL’s Customer Charter ensures that no one is discriminated against, including on the ground of race. The ORNL conducted a detailed exercise to identify the human rights and equality issues that the work of the Regulator either directly or indirectly affects or is affected by. As a result, the ORNL ensures that each policy review is conducted in full consideration of the need to promote equality of opportunity and treatment, and protection of human rights of both staff and stakeholders. The ORNL’s Code of Business Conduct confirms that discrimination of any kind including, race discrimination, will not be accepted. Finally, the ORNL commits to being an equal opportunities employer, welcoming job applications from all candidates that meet the requirements of the position being filled.
