Madam, - So, the Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr Willie O'Dea, has told our European partners that Ireland is far ahead of other European nations in terms of equality issues (The Irish Times, May 8th).
Perhaps Mr O'Dea could explain why the European Commission has been obliged to initiate legal action against Ireland over the Government's refusal to implement on time the two main EU equality directives of recent years - the 2000 race discrimination directive and the 2000 equal treatment in employment directive? These should have been transposed into Irish law by July 2003 and December 2003 respectively.
Perhaps Mr O'Dea could explain why the Equality Coalition, a wide-ranging and respected coalition of groups concerned about equality issues, has warned that the Government is using the Equality Bill 2004 currently going through the Oireachtas, which transposes these two directives and the 2002 gender equality directive, to "row back" on Irish equality legislation, particularly in relation to the rights of asylum-seekers and migrants?
Perhaps Mr O'Dea could explain why the Equality Bill 2004 does not comply in full with these equality directives? To give one example, Article 3 of Directive 2000/78/EC states that it "shall apply to all persons, as regards both the public and private sectors, in relation to conditions for access to employment, to self-employment or to occupation, including selection criteria and recruitment conditions, whatever the branch of activity. . ." However, Section 3 of the Equality Bill 2004 states that the Bill does not cover a person employed in another person's home for the provision of personal services for persons residing in that home - a clear breach of the directive, in my view.
I have raised these issues with the European Commission and have been informed that once the Equality Bill 2004 is on the statute books, the Commission will examine the Irish legislation in detail and, if it is not satisfied that the EU legislation has been correctly transposed, infringements proceedings will be launched.
Instead of boasting that Ireland is far ahead of other European nations in terms of equality issues, Mr O'Dea should be ashamed of the deepening inequalities that have opened up in Irish society since the FF/PD coalition took office seven years ago. - Yours, etc.,
PROINSIAS DE ROSSA, MEP, European Parliament Offices, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2.