Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Employment Equality Acts and the Equal Status Acts will continue to govern the presentation of complaints of discrimination to the WRC and the adjudication officers will have regard to the specific provisions governing such cases in the Equality Acts and not the provisions of section 42. Section 42 does not apply directly to employment equality and equal status cases but rather sections 84 and 85 amend the Equality Acts and Equal Status Acts and make them consistent with the provisions of section 42. There is no merit in requiring a separate hearing of equality cases from the other employment matters which may be in dispute between an employer and an employee. If there was an employment and equality aspect to a case, this could lead to four separate hearings of the same case with the same facts, two at first instance and two at appeal. There is no justification for this and it would add unnecessary cost to the employer, employee and the State. The Senator's proposal runs contrary to what the Bill is trying to achieve by providing a fast and effective independent streamlined adjudication service. Therefore, I am not disposed to accept the amendment.