Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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497. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when he plans to introduce legislation to introduce socio-economic disadvantage as a further ground of discrimination under the Equal Status Act 2018 and the Employment Equality Act 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25713/22]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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I have asked officials in my Department to undertake a review of the Equality Acts (Equal Status Acts 2000-2018 and the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015) which will examine the functioning of the Acts and their effectiveness in combatting discrimination and promoting equality.

The review will include the existing Programme for Government commitments on the introduction of a socio-economic ground for discrimination.

The first step in the review involved a consultation process in which we invited submissions on a range of issues including the functioning of the Acts and their effectiveness in combatting discrimination and promoting equality; awareness of the legislation; and whether there are obstacles to taking an action under the Acts. Submissions were also invited on the scope of the current definitions of the nine equality grounds.

I was pleased to receive an extensive response to the consultation and the submissions are currently being analysed. The outcome of the consultation process will inform the next steps to be undertaken as part of the review and may involve further consultation. I hope to bring forward legislative proposals by the end of 2022.