Mary Henry (Independent)

I move amendment No. 27:

In page 30, paragraph (a), lines 19 and 20, to delete ", or made otherwise by a public authority,".

This is another area in which a small number of people seem to be excluded from the protection of the Equal Status Act. They are asylum seekers. They are lawfully in the State but they lack legal status within it. They are very vulnerable in dealing with public authorities as defined under the Bill which is very wide. I would be grateful if the Minister of State could see his way to taking into account the residency of people within the State given the great degree to which the legislation is open to interpretation. The term "public authority" is open to wide interpretation and community welfare officers and NGOs have consistently expressed concern about differential treatment of asylum seekers in the social welfare system. An example is the payment of reduced supplementary allowances.

The provisions of section 47 will create another area in which asylum seekers will be differentiated on the grounds of nationality and denied the full protection of the Equal Status Act 2000. It will open the system to significant discrimination by health boards and other agencies if this section is included in the Bill as suggested.