Madam, - Kevin Myers is a shining light in your paper, frequently brightening our lives with his intelligence and wit.
Unfortunately, he has a black spot, if he will pardon me from using a politically incorrect expression, when it come to the provision for equality in our society. Once again, on June 4th, he totally confused the reality of the equality structures that exist.
I write as a practitioner in employment and equality law. May I point out to Mr Myers that there are two statutory bodies here? One is the Equality Authority, which promotes equality generally and sometimes assists claimants with their cases. It has no inspectorate and does not run its own courts, contrary to Mr Myers's contention.
There is a second body, a quasi-judicial body known as the Equality Tribunal, which is utterly separate from the Equality Authority. It investigates complaints and makes decisions on a fair and impartial basis. Its decisions are published in full and are on its website.
Mr Myers might be surprised to learn that the majority of those claiming to have suffered discrimination lose their cases before the Equality Tribunal. He will also be interested to learn that the findings can be appealed to the Labour Court or the civil courts as the case may be. - Yours, etc.,
CIARAN O'MARA,
Booterstown,
Co Dublin.