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

The Equality Authority had discussions with the Central Statistics Office
with regard to the 2001 Census of Population and the Quarterly
National Household Survey.The discussion on the 2001 census focused
on questions relating to disability and ethnicity as well as the programme
of published data on foot of the census.The inclusion of a disability
question for the next census is welcome, just as the lack of a question
on ethnicity is regretted.
Key Objective 2
3 Implementing measures to generate
new thinking and approaches to
equality
A) Advisory Committee on Equality for Lesbians,
Gays and Bisexuals
In December 1999, the Equality Authority established an Advisory
Committee on the equality agenda for Lesbian, Gays and Bisexuals.This
brought together relevant interests to consider how best to give visibility
to Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual equality issues: to identify the equality
agenda for lesbians, gays, and bisexuals: and to set out what steps the
Equality Authority and others might best take under the sexual
orientation ground.
The Advisory Committee's terms of reference cover identifying examples
of best practice, drawing from experience in other jurisdictions in
promoting equality under the sexual orientation ground, developing a
perspective to inform policy making on equality in employment and
service provision and actions required to give effect to this perspective:
proposing a programme of action, and recommending what role the
Equality Authority should undertake.The Committee is made up of
representatives from various gay and lesbian groups, academia and
relevant state bodies.
The Committee commissioned a background paper looking at equality
strategies which have created positive changes for gays, lesbians and
bisexuals in other countries.The Committee hosted a consultation on
partnership issues in April 2000 and commissioned a report on
Partnership Rights outlining existing differences in treatment as between
heterosexual and homosexual couples under Irish Law.The Committee
also hosted a community consultation on issues to be addressed in its
report in Waterford in September, 2000.The Committee aims to report
to the Equality Authority by the summer of 2001.
Key Objective 2 - Annual Report 2000 - The Equality Authority page 47