More than 500 cases alleging discrimination in the provision of services by pubs and clubs, landlords, insurance companies, schools and transport organisations have been lodged with the Equality Authority in the past year.
One year since the Equal Status Act was introduced, it accounts for two-thirds of the cases being taken by the authority.
The Equal Status Act outlaws discrimination in the provision of services on nine grounds, including gender, race, membership of the Traveller community, age and sexual orientation. The Equal Employment Act outlaws discrimination in employment on the same nine grounds.
In a statement issued on the first anniversary of the coming into operation of the Equal Status Act, the Equality Authority said it has a case-load of 506 cases under this Act. This is twice the number of cases being taken under the Equal Employment Act.
It was expected that employment cases would outnumber service-provision ones. Pubs, hotels and restaurants were the subject of numerous complaints.