Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Minister coming in and listening to the various issues. I know he is committed to equality; it is a common theme throughout his work in Leinster House. I cannot help thinking he is a bit optimistic to suggest that the Government will still be here in 18 months but that is another debate.

I acknowledge the work the OPLA and its officials put in in drafting the Bill. It was detailed and aware of the current political status and debate around equality law. As Deputy Wynne said, we will not be agreeing to the amendment for a number of reasons. The main reason is that the delay sends out a message to residents living in flat complexes in the inner city surrounding this building that they are not a priority. The Minister said that the equality legislation has been here 20 years and we are still waiting to add the tenth ground. It is unacceptable that we can allow this to drift. We could probably fill this room with reports and reviews from all the time spent on it, yet here we are with the Minister telling us we will have to wait another 18 months. It may not happen in the lifetime of this Government. That is the political reality and that may be the case. The Government is not taking the discrimination of people living in working-class communities seriously. The consultation is just an excuse.

Socioeconomic status is the tenth piece in the jigsaw. It needs to be introduced as a ground for discrimination as a matter of urgency, as not doing so will create a hierarchy of discrimination. If someone is discriminated against on the basis of race or disability, it is unacceptable, but if he or she is discriminated against on the basis of your accent or socioeconomic background, is that supposed to be okay? Judging by the Minister of State's nod, he agrees with me. If we are trying to have perfect legislation that includes everything, we could be going for years and still never have legislation that addresses this matter.

This ground for discrimination needs to be introduced urgently. The amendment calls for 18 months. If the Government accepted the Bill, though, the process would take months anyway. The Bill would crawl along before reaching Committee Stage. As such, there is no reason the Government cannot accept it and work with the Deputies involved. Broadly speaking, the vast majority of Members would support this legislation. In that light, it is increasingly frustrating for people living in inner city communities and flat complexes who feel that they are being discriminated against and that the Government does not care about their lives and the reality they face. We must address this issue.

The programme for Government is vague and non-committal on this front. The Government is kicking the can down the road for another 18 months. In the meantime, people will be discriminated against. I do not see why the Government cannot support the Bill. As it works through the process, the Government can add other elements to it. I am disappointed, as the amendment is just an exercise in can kicking.

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