The Equality Authority is very much open for business and eager to pursue equality with vigour and enthusiasm, its chairwoman, Angela Kerins, said on launching its 2009-2011 Strategic Plan today.
She said that calls to the information centre were up last month on the same month last year, from 638 to 685, and more casefiles had been opened. She told journalists there were 38 new casefiles opened in January, so she expected about 450 in a full year, and there were already about 500 casefiles in the system.
According to the Strategic Plan, 200 case-files will be "progressed" every year. Ms Kerins said that a lot of the cases that came in were settled on the basis of the case-law already established.
Asked about how the planned work would be done with a budget reduced from almost €6 million to €3.3 million, she said that the authority was looking at partnerships with other organisations, like the National Disability Authority. It had also had very positive discussions with the Department of Justice, which would absorb some of the authority's costs. They would also be seeking extra money from EU funds, so that the total budget for next year would be close to €4 million.
The authority would remain in its Dublin office in Clonmel Street, she said, and the Department would now share the office space by renting out one floor.
Indicating a change in direction for the authority, she said it would be looking at equal rights for male carers and would be working with mens's groups. Asked which men's groups, she said: "Anyone who's out there. We'll work with anyone."
She said the Strategic Plan set out six strategic goals and identified seven priority areas. The authority would promote greater awareness of rights and responsibilities, develop its engagement with European institutions and pursue its legal work with vigour. It would continue to offer leadership in the development of European Equality law and practice.
"We are confident that through effective use of resources and a 'can do' attitude we can fully deliver on the ambitions set out in this plan," she said.
The acting CEO, Richard Fallon, said that the decentralisation of part of the office, with staff in Roscrea to be increased from 15 to 23 in the coming weeks, meant the authority had been able to develop outreach opportunities throughout the Midland, Southern and South-Western regions of the country.
Responding to the plan, Mark Kelly, spokesperson for the Equality and Rights Alliance and director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, said that the Alliance was concerned that the Board in adopting the plan had no effective grasp of the economic reality of the 43 per cent cutback it must live with.
He said that the alliance had carried out a comparison of the new plan with one developed before the budget of the Authority was slashed by 43 per cent. "While there are some significant differences, overall very little has been dropped which is an amazing response to a 43 per cent cutback," he said. "Significantly, the new plan makes no reference to resources and their deployment."