Written answers
Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Equality Issues
Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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674. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his views on the inclusion of a grounds of discrimination based on socioeconomic status being added to the Equality Acts; the timeline for the introduction of such a ground; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54683/23]
Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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My Department is currently reviewing the Equality Acts (Equal Status Acts 2000-2018 and the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015). This review includes the 2020 Programme for Government commitment to examine the introduction of a new ground based on disadvantaged socio-economic status.
In July of this year I published a report on submissions to a public consultation on this Review. This report is available at www.gov.ie/en/press-release/cafb4-minister-ogorman-publishes-report-on-the-submissions-to-the-public-consultation-on-the-review-of-the-equality-acts/. Submissions were invited on a range of issues, including the scope of the current equality grounds, and whether new grounds should be added, such as the ground of socio-economic discrimination.
My officials are now finalising policy and legislative proposals and I plan to bring them to Government in the new year. As the Deputy is aware, the Programme for Government commits the Government to examining the introduction of a new discrimination ground of disadvantaged socio-economic status and this is currently being examined as part of the process of developing legislative proposals.
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