Susan O'Keeffe (Labour) | Oireachtas source

I support Senator Ó Clochartaigh's suggestion. There is a case to answer, as other jurisdictions manage to equality proof their budgets. There may be a time constraint, but where there is a will, there is a way. The idea that we would exclude the ESRI and Equality Authority from having a role in the budget merits our further examination. I would like the petitioner to attend to present a case, which we would take from there. We might ask for a thorough briefing on how equality proofing is handled in other jurisdictions. I am open to clarification, but I understand that, under the Lisbon treaty, budgets ought to be equality proofed.