Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 629: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the action that has been taken in recent years to combat ageism; and his views on a campaign to combat the problem for people of all age groups. [17429/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Discrimination on the ground of age is prohibited under Irish law both in the area of employment and in access to and supply of goods and services. The Equal Status Acts 2000 to 2004 prohibit discrimination in the access to and provision of goods and services on nine grounds, which include age. The Employment Equality Acts 1998 to 2007 outlaw discrimination on the same grounds, but in the area of employment.

The provisions with regard to age were strengthened in the Equality Act, 2004 which gave effect to the EU Anti-Discrimination Employment Directive. No upper age threshold is provided for, although compulsory retirement ages may continue to be set. Prior to introduction of the 2004 Act, an Advisory Committee on Implementing Equality for Older People, chaired by the Equality Authority, prepared a report entitled Implementing Equality for Older People containing a series of recommendations for action on promoting equality for older people and challenging ageism.

The Equality Authority is the independent body set up under the equality legislation to promote equality of opportunity and to work towards the elimination of discrimination in relation to employment and the provision of goods and services. The Authority has undertaken a series of initiatives to combat the problem of ageism across all age groups.

The Equality Authority, the National Council on Ageing and Older People and the Health Service Executive have organised the annual Say No to Ageism Week, launched on 18 June. The Say No to Ageism Campaign is an annual campaign to tackle attitudes to ageism against older people. Early public awareness campaigns emphasised negative labelling and the limitations placed on people as they age. This year's campaign highlights attitudes to ageism and uses outdoor advertising, national and local radio and a 'beermat' campaign to create opportunities for people to express their views and to discuss attitudes to ageism. The campaign is backed by a series of initiatives at local and regional level involving the Health Service Executive and partners in the transport sector including the Rural Transport Programme, Veolia (Luas), Bus Éireann, Iarnród Éireann and Dublin Bus. Specific training, consultative and educational initiatives have been undertaken in exemplar sites throughout the health services and in the employment, marketing and customer service areas of the transport sector to improve services and accessibility for older people. Reports of these initiatives were published during this year's campaign.

The Equality Authority is conscious of the particular issues faced by young people in relation to ageism. The Equality Authority, in cooperation with the National Youth Council of Ireland, commissioned a report published in 2006 entitled Inequality and the Stereotyping of Youth People, which found that a majority of young people considered their institutional relationships with adults to be rooted in stereotypical attitudes. The report outlined a number of recommendations relating to status, resources, access to decision-making and relationships between key institutions and youth people. The Equality Authority and the National Youth Council of Ireland have held meetings with statutory and non-governmental organisations to identify effective strategies to implement these recommendations. The Equality Authority is also currently finalising a Youth Stereotyping Resource Pack for youth leaders and youth groups to support action by them to challenge ageism.

The Equality Authority has published research reports relevant to age discrimination, as follows:

Helen Russell and Tony Fahey (2004) 'Ageing and Labour Market Participation', and

Anne Basten, Greg Irwin and Donna Heaney (2002) 'Labour Market Inequalities for Older People in Ireland: Listening to the Views of Older Persons' (web publication only).