Migrant workers, Travellers and disabled people are among the groups which are still being discriminated against in society, the Equality Authority claimed today.
The Authority has launched a three-year strategy to combat the significant and persistent inequalities in workplaces, schools and accommodation.
Chief executive Niall Crowley said that they covered all nine grounds of discrimination under the Equality Acts.
"Women continue to experience a gender pay gap of 15 per cent, and 84 per cent of parental leave taken in 2002 was taken by women," he said.
"Migrant workers experience widespread and severe levels of discrimination in the workplace and in the provision of goods and services, accommodation and education."
Mr Crowley said that nearly 30 per cent of Traveller families did not have access to appropriate accommodation, while there was a failure to take account of the needs of disabled people.
He also highlighted the absence of partnership rights for couples and the underdevelopment of community care services.
The strategic plan will seek to attempt to embed equality thinking into organisations and institutions over the next three years. There will be a focus on dealing with the main groups affected by inequality and carrying out more inquiries and equality reviews.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell, who announced that the Equality Authority is due to move from its headquarters in Dublin to Roscrea in Tipperary, said Ireland had one of the most advanced equality and legal support systems of any country in the EU.
"The Government is always willing to look at ways in which the situation is going to be improved but legal change is something we have to look at very carefully," he said.
The Equality Authority has expressed concern about the drop in discrimination complaints against pubs since Mr McDowell decided to transfer the cases from the Equality Tribunal to the district courts.
But he said he believed the system was working remarkably well and would not be changed.
PA