Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

I move amendment No. 3:

In page 8, line 1, to delete "sections 26 to 28" and substitute the following:

"section 21 insofar as it refers to section 21 of the Equal Status Act 2000 and sections 26 to 28".

Amendments Nos. 3, 9 and 10 are simply technical amendments to improve the text. Amendment No. 11 adds another subsection to section 21 of the Bill to amend section 75 of the Employment Equality Act of 1998. Its purpose is to remedy an omission in the Act of 1998 to protect the independent functions of the officer delegated to hear and issue a decision in a discrimination case.

Section 75(7) of the Act of 1998 refers to the arrangements under which delegation to an equality officer by the director of the function of hearing a case will operate. However, this provision currently refers only to cases referenced under section 77 of the Act in relation to employment matters. It does not make reference to cases referred under section 21 Act of 2000 concerning discrimination in the supply of and access to goods and services or under section 86 of the Act of 1998 concerning collective bargaining. It is proposed to correct these omissions by the amendments now proposed. It is an important tidying-up measure in the context of the relevant legislation and I hope it will be supported by the House.

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