Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 June 2023
458. Deputy Holly Cairns asked the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment 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. [27671/23]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, as a public body my Department has a duty to eliminate discrimination, promote equality and protect the human rights of staff and the people availing of its services.
In February my Department published its first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statement, which sets out the principles we work by, and the actions we undertake, to ensure compliance with this legislation and ensure we are promoting equality, diversity and inclusion as an employer and public body across the nine grounds of discrimination, which includes race. This Statement is publicly available in the publications section of our website. The Statement includes commitments to promote equity and diversity and to apply principles of respect and inclusion in how we deliver services to members of the public.
Further to the publication of this Equality, Diversity and Inclusion statement, we are working to develop our first Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy, which will set out a vision for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in this Department and how that will be effected for both customers and staff of the Department.
My Department also operates in line with the Civil Service 'Dignity at Work' policy, which outlines clearly the procedure followed where a staff member reports experience of harassment related to the nine discriminatory grounds in the workplace. The Department takes complaints made under this policy very seriously.
The operation of such policies by the agencies under the Department’s remit is an operational matter for those agencies.
