Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent)
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Question 128: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will clarify a matter (details supplied). [35053/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Equality Acts provide that it is an offence to discriminate against a person for employment purposes or in the provision of goods and services on the basis of gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religious belief, age, disability, race or membership of the Traveller community. The Civil Partnership Bill 2009 amends the Equality Acts to extend this protection to civil partnership status by replacing the marital status ground with the new ground of civil status. The Bill does not contain any exemption from the obligation not to discriminate on the basis of religious belief or otherwise. With respect to freedom of conscience, I refer the Deputy to the details of my response to Parliamentary Question No. 749 of 6 October 2009.