Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, and the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, published an anti-bullying strategy yesterday which focuses on the issue of homophobic bullying. At the same time as the strategy is being published a person could lose his or her job in a religious-run school or hospital because of his or her sexual orientation. The programme for Government committed to amending section 37 of the Employment Equality Act 1998. When will this be done? My colleague in the Seanad, Senator Averil Power, introduced a Bill over a year ago which was not accepted by the Government. It is hypocritical to introduce guidelines to deal with the issue of homophobic bullying when the Government is not taking action which is within its power to amend employment legislation. When is it intended to do so and to do so promptly?

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