EMPLOYMENT equality legislation which will prohibit discrimination on wider grounds than gender or marital status is well advanced, the Government announced yesterday.
These grounds include parental status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, colour or national or ethnic origins, including membership of the travelling community.
The Government made its announcement when it welcomed the publication of the 10th report of the National Economic and Social Forum on Equality Proofing Issues.
The report calls for the ad option of equality objectives relating to access and participation in employment and non employment areas. The main focus of the report is on women, people with disabilities and travellers.
The report recommends that employment equality legislation should outlaw direct and indirect discrimination in access to employment, training and career development. Where reasonable access to information is denied the onus of proof in alleged discrimination cases should shift to the employer.
The report says equal status legislation should outlaw discrimination in the provision of all goods and services. Companies and clubs seeking public funds or contracts should have to show they do not discriminate against minority groups.
There is also a recommendation that an equality authority should be established and a range of tasks for this authority is recommended. This should be complemented by an equality tribunal to ensure enforcement in non employment areas. The Free Legal Aid Scheme should be extended to equality cases.
The report says an equality authority would be an essential component in the implementation of equality proofing. Such an authority would have a specialist role in the application of equality policies and legislation, and compliance with anti discrimination legislation.
The report accepted that some of its recommendations would require significant investment but stressed that this should be set off against the resulting substantial social and economic benefits.
The Government, in a statement, said the report highlighted many issues in non employment, areas which would be dealt with in the forthcoming Equal Status Bill, which it hopes to publish later this year.
The National Women's Council of Ireland said it would be pressing for the implementation of the constitutional and legislative changes proposed in the report.
The chairwoman of the NWCI, Ms Noreen Byrne, said the comprehensive report provided a guide to the integrated action needed to achieve a more equitable society. The Irish Traveller Movement said it was delighted the report supported objectives which the ITM had been looking for.
The Pavee Point Travellers Centre also welcomed the report and said it was of central importance to groups like travellers that experience inequality.