Ivana Bacik (Labour) | Oireachtas source

This amendment speaks to the enforcement powers, a crucial aspect of the Bill. I was initially somewhat critical of this. Our original Bill had provided for more extensive enforcement and accountability powers through building on the legislative framework for the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, IHREC. While I welcome the fact that section 5 of the Government Bill will give a role in enforcement to IHREC, through this amendment we want to ensure that IHREC would retain the power to exercise its own powers of its own motion. The commission does, in fact, have extensive powers with regard to ordering equality audits and equality reviews in individual organisations to be carried out. It has this power in respect of all organisations with more than 50 employees. We want to strengthen the mechanisms through which IHREC may intervene in the enforcement of this legislation and in making it effective.