Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

Why has the Minister decided to kill off the Equality Authority? Can he offer any other example of a 43% budgetary cut that he has made? How does he respond to the view of the board that the authority will not be able to discharge its core functions as a result of what has been done? Can the Minister give me a figure for the savings that will arise from the decision he has taken in respect of the Equality Authority? What is the saving? Is it not the case that the entire saving would not buy Mars bars for all the staff of the authority? The Equality Authority is being singled out in a vindictive manner because officials in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform do not like what it has been doing. Is that not the reason for this measure? How can the Minister refer to two separate offices in Dublin, given that a premises is being sought for a third office in Roscrea? There will be a parallel organisation in Roscrea, matching the organisation in Dublin. The Department has already leased a premises, in which 15 staff are employed. None of the officials in question came from the Equality Authority. This is an act of blatant vindictiveness. If the Minister was not its author, it was his duty to intervene to prevent it from being pursued.

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