Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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637. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if she will provide an update on her Department’s consideration of including socioeconomic background as a ground for discrimination under the Equality Acts; if she will outline the policy basis informing this review and the expected timeline for any proposed changes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35384/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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In November 2024, Government approved the publication of the General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which includes a number of legislative provisions arising from the review of the Equality Acts. At the same time, approval was granted, in principle, for the introduction of a new equality ground of socioeconomic disadvantage in Ireland’s equality legislation, subject to the completion of an assessment of the potential costs for the Exchequer and of the Enhanced SME test examining the potential impact on SMEs of the introduction of such an equality ground.

Department officials are currently advancing this work. Detailed work has already been undertaken on the definition of disadvantaged socioeconomic status drawing on many sources, including:

• academic studies from Ireland and abroad,
• submissions relating to this topic received as part of the Review of the Equality Acts,
• recent Private Member’s Bills, and
• the definitions in the legislation of other jurisdictions, and rulings made in these jurisdictions on equality cases.