Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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826. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the progress to amend the Equality Acts and related legislation to include socioeconomic status as a protected category in the context of discrimination. [52153/25]

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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The General Scheme arising from the Review of the Equality Acts was approved by Government in November 2024. I referred it to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Equality for pre-legislative scrutiny following the Committee’s establishment earlier this year. The Committee’s report is expected in the coming weeks. I look forward to receiving this report and considering its recommendations.

In the meantime, the General Scheme has been referred for priority drafting. The drafting process will be influenced by the report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee and any changes or recommendations proposed by the Committee.

Government approval was also granted, in principle, for the introduction of a new equality ground of socio-economic 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.

The intention is that a memorandum would be brought to Government setting out the outcome of the test and the recommendations of the PLS process and putting forward options regarding the possible introduction of an equality ground based on socio-economic status.