Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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104. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps her Department is taking to introduce socio-economic status as a discrimination ground following legislative and case law trends across Europe and to ensure Ireland meets its obligations under EU and international law, such as the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU (Article 21) and recommendations from Ireland's second UN universal periodic review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34565/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I do not have plans at this stage to introduce socio-economic status as a discrimination ground in equality legislation. As reported upon by Ireland during its response to the UN's Universal Period Review earlier this year, on 19 May 2015 the Oireachtas did not support a Private Members' Bill that sought to insert into the Constitution a statement that the State shall progressively realise, subject to its maximum available resources and without discrimination, the rights contained in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and that this duty would be cognisable by the Courts. The Government pointed out that it aims to ensure that the State’s obligations to implement the Covenant in Ireland are met through policies aimed at improving the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, including by fighting persistent poverty and social exclusion and recognising that others - including individuals and families as well as many organisations and bodies - have important responsibilities as well. The means by which the State sets out to meet its obligations in this area is through the allocation of resources.