Insurers and banks accused of discrimination

Financial institutions yesterday rejected the findings of a national equality survey in which large numbers of people accused them of discrimination.

Banks, insurers and other financial institutions were the most common focus of complaint in the survey by the Central Statistics Office in late 2004.

The findings suggest 112,500 people believe they were discriminated against by financial bodies in the two years before the survey was conducted.

Of those reporting this type of discrimination, six out of 10 were male and almost a quarter were in the 18 to 24 age group.

The findings were immediately played down by Financial Services Ireland, which is part of the employers' body, Ibec.

FSI director Aileen O'Donoghue said the survey results should not be used to present a "wholly unjustified and inaccurate picture" of the financial services sector.

"The survey's findings in no way reflect the realities of the marketplace and give a very superficial picture of the nature of discrimination," she said.

Equality legislation specifically allowed institutions to take into account legitimate factors, such as the risk profile of an individual buying car insurance, she said.

"In this regard the preponderance of males in the 18-24 category, which feature in the results of the survey, strongly points to dissatisfaction related to risk profile rather than active discrimination by financial institutions."

The questions on equality were included in the CSO's national household survey in the fourth quarter of 2004.

Overall, it found more than 12.5 per cent of people - 382,000 in total - aged 18 or over felt they had been discriminated against in the previous two years.

Those from "other [ non-white] ethnic backgrounds" reported the highest rate of discrimination, with over 31 per cent stating they had been discriminated against.

Unemployed people (28.8 per cent), non-nationals (24.4 per cent), non-Catholics (21.6 per cent), people with a disability (19.6 per cent) and young people aged 18-24 (17.6 per cent) also reported higher than average rates.

Six in 10 of those who reported experiencing discrimination made no verbal, written or official complaint.

"The groups reporting the highest rates of discrimination were also the groups that were least likely to take action," the CSO said. Almost a quarter said they had no understanding of their legal rights from an equality perspective.

"Again, the groups reporting the highest rates of discrimination, with the exception of the disabled, were also the groups that reported the highest rates of having 'no understanding' of their rights under Irish equality legislation," said the CSO.

This finding was described as "disappointing" by Minister of State for Equality Frank Fahey. He said the results needed more detailed reflection, however, before firm conclusions could be drawn.

Age and gender were perceived to the main grounds of discrimination, although the overall rates reported by men and women were very similar. A quarter of those who reported discrimination said it had had a "serious effect" on their lives.

After financial institutions, the workplace was cited as the place where discrimination most often occurred, followed by the "shops, pubs or restaurants" category.