Nikki Bradley (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister to the House and thank her for her time. We appreciate it. I also welcome our guests and hope they are having a good day. Hopefully, it continues the way it started. I thank my colleagues for bringing forward this important Bill. The principle at its heart, that socioeconomic disadvantage should not be a basis for discrimination, is something we can and should support. This is not a new conversation. In fact, the need to examine the inclusion of socioeconomic status under the Employment Equality Act 1998 has been acknowledged by successive governments, including one in which Fine Gael played a leading role. The programme for Government in 2020 explicitly committed to exploring this and the public consultation that followed received more than 580 submissions. This was clear evidence that people cared deeply about this issue.

As a Senator from County Donegal, I feel strongly about this issue. Too often, our constituents feel left behind, not just economically but politically. There is a real sense of disconnect from national policymaking and from the protections others take for granted. People in rural areas, especially in counties like mine, know exactly what it feels like to be judged by the assumptions people make when we say where we are from. This Bill seeks to protect people from that kind of prejudice. The proposed legislation defines "socioeconomic disadvantage" in a clear and thoughtful way. It includes factors like poverty, educational level, housing, employment status and, yes, even social or regional accents. This matters. In this House, we recognise disadvantage is not just about income. It is about perception, access to opportunity and an overall lack of inclusion. While the Government has proposed a 12-month deferral to continue work on this issue, I believe we should use this time wisely and constructively. This will allow the respective Departments to engage with stakeholders and affected groups. On this issue, there are international precedents from other EU countries. In addition, just last year, the United Nations specifically called on Ireland to include socioeconomic status in its anti-discrimination laws. We have a chance here to show leadership both at home and abroad. This is not about rushing legislation; it is about pressing it with care and credibility. We need to make sure any changes to the existing policy are workable in practice, consistent with our legal framework and enforceable. These areas will need additional consideration before any version of this Bill is fully considered on Committee Stage. That said, we must not lose momentum. People who live with socioeconomic disadvantage, especially those in communities that feel under-represented, deserve more than recognition. They deserve real legal protection.

I acknowledge and thank the Senators who brought this Bill forward. I support the intention behind it fully and look forward to engaging in a spirit of collaboration to ensure that we deliver meaningful and lasting change.