Carol Nolan (Laois-Offaly, Independent)
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435.To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection to provide details of any anti-racism or unconscious bias training and presentations made available to staff in her Department during the period 2021 to date; the content of such training and presentations; the provider of any such training and presentations and the costs incurred for each event; if attendance at such training and presentations is mandatory or voluntary for staff; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24677/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) Act 2014 introduced a positive duty on public bodies to have due regard to human rights and equality issues.

The Department provides ongoing supports and learning programmes for staff to create awareness in relation to equality for the benefit of staff and customers.

All new staff undertake a mandatory three-day Induction and Orientation course, one day of which is focused on best customer service practice and addresses issues of equality and diversity, discrimination and unconscious bias to underpin the significance of these matters.

The Department’s learning and development unit has developed unconscious bias modules as part of its customer service, people management, and team building training.

In addition, a number of eLearning modules include elements of unconscious bias:

• the business of the Department
• decision making & natural justice
• revised decisions and their date of effect
• role and responsibilities of a deciding officer
• social welfare inspector – an introduction to employer investigations.