Equality body warns on impact of Budget cuts

The Equality Authority today warned it may not be able to effectively carry out all its duties due to cuts announced in the recent Budget.

The authority has seen its allocation for next year cut by 43 per cent from €5,897,000 to €3,333,000. It said today the cutbacks were disproportionate compared to cuts imposed on other bodies and that this could render it unable to carry out the full range of its core functions.

In addition to the cutbacks, Budget 2009 also called for the decentralisation of a further fifteen authority staff posts to an office in Roscrea.

The Equality Authority said it is writing to the Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern seeking a meeting to brief him on its concerns.

"The impact of the cutback and changes required by Budget 2009 on the Equality Authority could severely curtail its work of providing legal advice and representation to people experiencing discrimination, of conducting inquiries or equality reviews, raising the level of public awareness of rights under equality legislation, and of providing supports for good practice to employers, trade unions and service providers," said the authority in a statement.

It added that the need to promote equality and combat discrimination were "particularly important during the economic downturn" as people or groups experiencing inequality are particularly vulnerable at such a time.

The Equality Authority is mandated to promote equality and eliminate discrimination in the workplace and in the provision of goods and services, accommodation and education.

The authority is one of five agencies, along with the Irish Human Rights Commission, the Office of Data Protection Commissioner, the National Disability Authority and the Equality Tribunal, that face the possibility of being amalgamated into one body.