Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move amendment No. 21:

In page 34, between lines 32 and 33, to insert the following:
"(c) Any person appointed as an adjudication officer immediately after the commencement of this Part will be required to be adequately trained in the area of equality legislation, in addition to all relevant industrial relations and employment law.".

The Minister will probably know that the Equality Rights Alliance has raised a number of concerns with the legislation. For example, a case dealing with a breach of employment law may also have a discrimination dimensions. The Equality Tribunal does not operate like an ordinary court in terms of far-reaching powers, such as compelling witnesses, etc. Cases of discrimination are not unique in that the burden of proof passes to the respondent once the complainant has made a prima faciecase.

This amendment tries to deal with that.