78% rise in race cases for Equality Tribunal

The number of cases of racial discrimination in the workplace referred to the Equality Tribunal increased by 78 per cent last year, according to its annual report published today.

The report also shows a 16 per cent increase in cases of discrimination against people with a disability in accessing services referred last year compared with 2005.

Director of the tribunal Melanie Pine notes that more than 7,000 people made complaints alleging unlawful discrimination last year.

This includes one group claim, however, by more than 6,500 people taken by a union representing employees in the public service, who have taken a claim on gender grounds. No decision has been made on this so far. The tribunal investigates claims of discrimination at work, in accessing services and in the provision of pensions. It does not initiate investigations.

In the employment area there was a 12 per cent increase in cases referred, including the 78 per cent increase in cases taken for racial discrimination. Under this heading, the number of cases investigated rose from 82 in 2005 to 146 last year. The second most usual reason for alleged discrimination at work was gender, though this saw a 16 per cent decrease from 88 cases in 2005 to 74 cases last year.

Claims of discrimination in employment were successful in 44 per cent of cases and the average award increased by 17 per cent last year to €10,113 in employment cases.

Ms Pine said that in the first six months of this year, the number of claims of discrimination at work had "increased substantially by more than 50 per cent" - from 203 last year to 314 between January and June this year.

In particular there were "dramatic" rises of 123 per cent in claims on race grounds from 64 to 143, and of 122 per cent on disability grounds from 22 to 49 in the first six months of this year compared with the same period last year in employment cases.

Under the Equal Status Act, which covers access to services, there was an overall 26 per cent decrease in claims, though there was a 16 per cent increase on disability grounds from 45 in 2005 to 52 last year.

There were further increases in claims on disability grounds in the first six months of this year, which Ms Pine said have "jumped by 76 per cent", from 22 between January and June 2006 to 30 in the same period this year.

There was a significant 77 per cent decrease in the number of equal status cases taken on age grounds from 39 to nine.

There was also a decrease in Travellers' complaints of 42 per cent, from 31 to 18 cases. Overall, 34 per cent of equal status cases taken were upheld and the average award doubled to €1,187.

Cases alleging discrimination in relation to pensions doubled in 2006, from seven in 2005 to 14 last year.