Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I welcome the Minister. The fact that he is here to address this matter is very telling and I suspect there might be some good news. I actually raised this matter on the Adjournment this time last year because the Equality Authority provided what I would describe as extremely cost-effective and successful equality training for small and medium-sized businesses. Many of the businesses which availed of the training provided now have very strong equality statements in place and some of the things about which my good friend and colleague, Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh, spoke are in place and people from myriad backgrounds, whether they are from different countries or ethnic groups or people with different disabilities, are working very successfully in the private sector, as the O2 ability awards have acknowledged. The training was funded primarily by the European Union and the Equality Authority through the Minister's Department, but, unfortunately, the programme was shelved a couple of years ago. The reply I received on the last occasion from a Minister speaking on the Minister's behalf outlined the fact that another panel would be established which would provide this service. The exact title of the panel was that it was a panel of equality experts for equality mainstreaming support to the SME sector. Expressions of interest were sought and a shortlist was drawn up, but the process has stalled.

I understand the funding being provided by the European union will come to an end at the end of 2013. As we are now in May, we really only have seven or eight months in which to facilitate companies in providing training through this very good initiative. I do not know what the reason for the blockage is. Perhaps the Minister is not even aware that there is a blockage, but I respectfully suggest to all parties concerned that it is a no-brainer; there is a need to establish the panel and get on with it because it is primarily being paid for by the European Union as part of its obligations under various UN conventions. We are on the cusp of ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and making ground-breaking changes in amalgamating the Equality Authority and the Irish Human Rights Commission which will be the benchmark for equality services in this country for decades. It will establish very strong and powerful foundations which will help us to meet our international obligations. The problem is the enormous economic recession which has affected the SME sector very badly and, unfortunately, equality training and equality principles can be on the first line of attack when it comes to making cutbacks. Without funding from the European Union, companies will not be in a position to afford this training and it is incumbent on us to ensure it is provided.

I look forward to the Minister's reply which I hope will be as positive and comprehensive as that given to Senator Trevor Ó Clochartaigh.

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Senator for raising this issue and very much appreciate his long-standing interest in this area. I am not sure I will be able to give him as full a reply as he seeks, but in so far as there is any information missing, I assure him I will revert to him in that regard.

I take the opportunity to emphasise my continued commitment and that of the Government to promoting good employment and equality practices by all employers in Ireland, including those in the SME sector. As we have highlighted on a number of occasions, there is a body of evidence that, in addition to improving the welfare of workers, such practices have advantages for firms in improving competitiveness and stimulating innovation.

The panel to which the Senator refers relates to activities undertaken by the Equality Authority under an overall equality mainstreaming approach programme. This programme was set up under the 2007-13 human capital investment operational programme in Ireland. The equality mainstreaming activity is jointly funded by the European Social Fund and from the Equality Authority's grant-in-aid provision to a maximum of €4 million over the period of the ESF programme. In this context, expenditure incurred in 2014 is also covered.

Overall, the programme aims to contribute to improving access to the labour market for specific groups experiencing barriers to employment. It does this by supporting small and medium enterprises, providers of vocational education and training and providers of labour market programmes to make institutional changes to combat discrimination, promote equality and accommodate diversity. The selection of individual projects for funding is a matter for the project management within the criteria set out and agreed with the ESF for the overall programme. There are a number of distinct strands to the programme.

Support packages are provided for vocational education providers, training providers and labour market programme providers and trade union and employer networks. Research is funded to support the knowledge base on groups vulnerable to discrimination across the nine grounds protected under equality legislation. The development of resource materials is funded, supporting good practice in combating discrimination, promoting equality and accommodating diversity. For example, an employer's guide to equality in the workplace was developed with the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association and is actively disseminated within the SME sector by that body. A fourth strand involves the provision of consultancy support benefiting enterprises in the form of projects undertaken on a sectoral basis with groups of enterprises and other stakeholders and such support is ongoing.

In the first four years of the programme equality expertise was also made available to enterprises on an individual basis under a grants scheme for SMEs. Under this scheme small businesses have been offered from one to four days consultancy support by expert equality trainers and facilitators to put in place equality policies and practices. This support was paid for directly by the Equality Authority. Some 282 individual SMEs benefited from direct interventions of this nature, with spending on the SME grants scheme amounting to €759,000.

As I explained, the Equality Authority, in its role of project manager, has responsibility for the selection of individual projects for funding. In preparing its work plans, the authority is advised by a national framework committee comprising the social partners, the Department of Justice and Equality, the Department of Finance and other stakeholders. The Senator will be aware that this committee took a decision in early 2011 that it would not be prudent to operationalise the SME grants scheme in that year. In the current difficult economic environment it proposed that a sectoral project approach, through which equality expertise could be made available to enterprises, might be an effective mechanism for engagement with the SME sector.

Accordingly, the SME grants scheme did not operate in 2011 or 2012 and it is not planned to operate it in 2013.

I support the decision that was made by the authority, which is a valid one, in the very difficult economic budgetary context we face. While the Equality Authority has made no announcement regarding its priorities, under this programme for 2014, I am advised that the authority has not closed the door on re-instating an SME grant in the future, if and when the budgetary outlook is more favourable. I thank the Senator for raising the important topic, of the mainstreaming of equality.

Martin Conway (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for his reply. I hope that some provision will be made in the 2014 budget for the scheme because a demand exists. A set of companies which have tried to access equality training before, when it was available, would benefit enormously. We will keep an eye on the matter.