The Equality Authority and Older People

Senior Times

Deaglan O’Caoimh, Higher Executive Officer with the Authority explains your rights.

The Equality Authority is an independent State Body set up on 18 October 1999 under the Employment Equality Act 1998. It works towards the elimination of discrimination on age grounds regarding employment matters as well as regarding the provision of goods, services and other opportunities to which the public have access.

The Authority deals with specific complaints of discrimination and also provides an information, advisory and legal service on the implementation of the Employment Equality Act 1998 and the Equal Status Act 2000.

SeniorTimes

The Employment Equality Act is particularly important in terms of affirming the rights of older people as for the first time ever it provides a sound basis in Irish law for significant protection against age discrimination in recruitment, training, conditions of employment, work experience, promotion and dismissal. Whilst those over 65 years of age are excluded from the benefits of the Act, there is no doubt that, as pointed out in the Spring issue of Equality News by Sylvia Meehan of the Irish Citizens Parliament. The legislation is a groundbreaking development with tremendous potential for change in Irish society.

The tangible benefit flowing from the Employment Equality Act is well illustrated by the recent ruling of an Equality Officer in the Office of the Director of Equality Investigations that Ryanair discriminated on age grounds in a job advertisement published on 25 February 2000 for a Director of Regulatory Affairs. Ryanair had placed that advertisement stating ’we need a young and dynamic professional’ and ’the ideal candidate will be young and dynamic’. The case was brought by the Equality Authority and it was determined that middle aged and old people were excluded from the position and that this amounted to discrimination. Ryanair was fined £8,000.

Efforts in this area are ongoing, as evidenced by the valuable work being undertaken by the Equality Authority’s Advisory Committee on Equality for Older People. The Committee was set up in February 2000 to examine equality issues relating to older people and to create a strategy for equality. Assisted in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness (PPF), the recommendations made by the Committee will be considered by the social partners to establish how they might be carried forward. The Committee is made up of representatives of the social partners, representatives of older peoples organisations and academics. In early 2001 the Committee held a consultation seminar which invited older people to put forward their views for consideration in the final report.

After further consultation with representatives of the other grounds covered by the equality legislation the Committee’s report will be finalised and published in Summer 2001. The Committee is chaired by the Head of the Authority’s Development Section, Greg Heylin.

The Authority’s reference library is available to the public. Its publications include several explanatory leaflets on the equality legislation, the Authority’s free quarterly newsletter (Equality News) and a number of specialist publications such as one on the role of data in achieving equality. Publications are available in a variety of formats including Braille, large print, audio tape and in a number of foreign languages. In addition, there are Irish versions of several Equality Authority publications. Three videos are also available: one on the role of the Equality Authority, the other two on the Employment Equality Act and the Equal Status Act.

The Equality Authority makes information and advice available on the equality legislation and may, at its discretion, provide legal representation for those making claims of discrimination. These services are provided free of charge. If you feel that you have been discriminated against, you should contact us at the address/phone/fax/e-mail below:

Address:

2 Clonmel Street
Dublin 2

Telephone: (01) 4173333
LoCall: 1890 245545.
Text phone: (01) 4173385
Fax: (01) 4173366
Email: info@equality.ie

’The Employment Equality Act is particularly important in terms of affirming the rights of older people as for the first time ever it provides a sound basis in Irish law for significant protection against age discrimination in recruitment,training, conditions of employment, work experience, promotion and dismissal’.

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