Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 43: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will provide additional funding to the Equality Authority and to the free legal advice centres in response to the evidence that an increasing number of employers are using the current economic climate as an excuse to discriminate against women who are pregnant, on maternity leave or returning to work after having a baby. [13057/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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It is not proposed to increase the grant in aid provision of €3.2m for the Equality Authority for 2010, which has been maintained close to the 2009 level of €3.329m.

In addition, the State has successfully obtained EU funding of €266,000 for 2010, through the Progress programme, towards a multi-agency project led by the Equality Authority entitled "Promoting equality for all in a time of change: addressing the new challenges of an economic downturn" and which includes a strong focus on public education initiatives on employment rights.

The amount which I have made available in funding to FLAC in 2010 is €98,000. This is the same amount that I made available to FLAC in 2009 and it is a reasonable allocation in circumstances where both my Department and other agencies under my remit have seen significant reductions in their allocations. I am therefore not in a position to provide increased funding to FLAC.