Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I can provide absolute assurance to persons with potential discrimination claims under employment equality legislation and equal status legislation that they will, on the merger of the Equality Tribunal into the new workplace relations service, continue to be able to pursue formal complaints before the new body and that these complaints will be dealt with as effectively as by the Equality Tribunal. In addition, the new Irish human rights and equality commission, to be established on the merger of the Equality Authority and the Irish Human Rights Commission, will continue to provide advice and assistance to persons wishing to pursue such complaints, a role currently fulfilled by the authority. The new commission will have enhanced powers and functions and will be able to provide advice and assistance on both equality and human rights issues in an integrated way. These arrangements will make it easier for people to vindicate their rights by making our institutional arrangements clearer, thereby making it easier to navigate one's way around the system.

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