David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the time to move this Bill today. It amends the existing legislation and aims to provide for equality-proofing of Government policy, budgets and public bodies through impact assessments. Its aim is to promote equality in the functioning of public bodies and to provide for the carrying out of equality impact assessments in respect of measures that are likely to have a significant impact or effect on equality of opportunity. The Bill will ensure both Government and public bodies exercise their functions in a way that is designed to reduce the inequalities of outcome that result from socioeconomic disadvantage. It is quite extensive. It puts a requirement on the State to carry out proper equality-proofed budgeting. We know from all the analysis from the ESRI that, budget after budget, income inequality has increased and poverty has increased. We want to get to a point where we know the impact of decisions at budget time and policies in terms of whether they will increase poverty. That is the thrust of the Bill.

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