Martin Ferris (Kerry North, Sinn Fein)
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Question 18: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will make a statement detailing the content of discussions between an official in his Department and the Equality Authority referred to by him in reply to a parliamentary question from a Deputy of 9 March 2006; and the steps he intends to take on foot of this discussion to address the shortcomings in this State's equality provisions identified by the Equality Authority and Commission's joint report Equivalence in Promoting Equality. [15682/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I have been informed that in the reply to Question No. 11 of 9 March 2006 the discussion referred to, between an official of my Department and the Equality Authority, centred on background to production of the authority's report Equivalence in Promotion of Equality. The response of the Minister of State, Deputy Fahey, to Question No. 3 of 2 February 2006 concerning the report was also brought to the attention of the authority.

The position remains as indicated in the response to that question of 2 February 2006 that I do not accept that there are any significant shortfalls in our equality legislation compared to that in Northern Ireland. In terms of legislative coherence, access to tribunals and protection on the ground of sexual orientation, the equality provisions here are in advance of those in Northern Ireland. I do not accept that under the Good Friday Agreement, to ensure equivalence, the Oireachtas is obliged to copy every legislative innovation with a human rights dimension that has been or could conceivably be introduced at some stage in Northern Ireland.