Annual Report 2000.pdf (size 2.3 MB) - Equality Authority

2. Developing Casework Activity
(A) Information, Review and Casework
The Equality Authority provides information to the public and keeps
under review the working of the following Acts:
(a) The Employment Equality Act, 1998.
(b) The Equal Status Act, 2000.
(c) The Maternity Protection Act, 1994.
(d) The Adoptive Leave Act, 1995.
(e) The Parental Leave Act, 1998.
Key Objective 1
The Equality Authority can provide legal assistance to claimants taking
cases under the Employment Equality Act 1998 and the Equal Status Act
2000 where cases have a strategic importance.
The Equality Authority may also make proposals for amending the first
four Acts to the Minister whenever it thinks necessary. During 2000 the
Equality Authority participated in the Working Group on the Review and
Improvement of the Maternity Protection Legislation.Almost half of the
information queries to the Equality Authority related to the Parental
Leave Act, 1998, Maternity Protection Act, 1994 and the Adoptive Leave
Act, 1994.There were a total of 4,617 queries during the year.
The Equality Authority received 1,487 enquiries under the Equal Status
Act, 2000. This figure reflects a very high level of interest in the Act given
that it only came into effect in October 2000. The majority of enquiries
on specific discriminatory grounds under the Equal Status Act, 2000 were
enquiries in relation to the Traveller community ground.The grounds of
disability and age also featured significantly. Fifty one questionnaires were
issued and by the end of 2000, nine weeks following the introduction of
the Act, there were 14 cases on hand under the Equal Status Act, 2000,
the majority of which related to the Traveller community ground.The
Traveller cases concerned access to housing, shops and pubs. The four
cases under the age ground related to access to insurance and
harassment.The disability case related to access to a pub.The cases on
the sexual orientation ground concerned the refusal of insurance to
same sex couples and the different treatment of same sex couples by the
Department of Social, Community and Family Affairs and the Revenue
Commissioners.
The Equality Authority received 3,214 enquiries under the Employment
Key Objective 1 - Annual Report 2000 - The Equality Authority page 17