• Chapter 5:
  Action towards a New Focus on Equality
  
  
  • Introduction
  • Gender Equality
    • Second Commission on the Status of Women
    • Training and Education
    • Childcare
    • Family Friendly Policies
    • Evaluation of Unpaid Work
    • Pay Differentials
    • Women's Health
  • People with Disabilities
    • Institutional Issues
    • Public Service Employment
    • Private Sector Employment Initiatives
    • Sheltered Employment
    • Training Initiatives
    • Transport
    • Services for People with Disabilities
  • Travellers
    • Participation
    • Employment Equality and Equal Status
    • Task Force on the Travelling Community .
    • Accommodation
    • Education
    • Health
    • Employment

Chapter 5:
Action towards a New Focus on Equality

Introduction

5.1 - As part of the enhanced programme for social inclusion outlined in Chapter 4 and within the framework of the macroeconomic competitiveness and fiscal parameters of this document, it is an objective of this Partnership to develop a strategy which enhances equality and counters discrimination in both employment and non-employment areas. A framework will be developed to pursue in particular the full integration of women and of people with disabilities, and of members of the Traveller Community, into Irish society.

5.2 - Key developments in this area are the Employment Equality and Equal Status legislation. The Employment Equality Bill was published in early 1996. The Equal Status Bill will be published early in 1997. It will address discrimination in non-employment areas and will extend the principle of non-discrimination on the grounds of gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race and membership of the Traveller Community. The legislation will involve the establishment of an appropriate authority to progress the effective exercise of the rights and obligations arising therefrom. In the context of the NAPS, this will be complemented by the strengthening of administrative procedures for equality proofing, having regard to the recommendations of the NESF.

5.3 - Consideration will be given to further targeted initiatives (building on models developed for women, people with a disability and Travellers) examining and addressing the difficulties of other groups experiencing discrimination.

Gender Equality

Second Commission on the Status of Women

5.4 - The Second Progress Report of the Monitoring Committee on the Implementation of the Recommendations of the Second Commission on the Status of Women was published in 1996. The implementation of the Commission's recommendations, which have been accepted by the Government or by Ministers, will continue. Overall monitoring will continue to be carried out by the Committee established for that purpose by the Minister for Equality and Law Reform. The Committee will continue to report periodically.

Training and Education

5.5 - Equity in access to labour market opportunities requires that women should not be penalised in the availability of employment supports, including training. Participation by women in mainstream vocational education, training and employment programmes will be reviewed with a view to increasing gender equity in access to such programmes and better job opportunities. A Working Group comprised of the Departments of Social Welfare, Enterprise and Employment, Education, and the Social Partners including the National Women's Council, the INOU and the Congress Centres for the Unemployed, will be established in the first year of this Partnership to examine the underlying issues and to make recommendations to the Government.

Childcare

5.6 - Childcare is clearly an important issue in promoting equality for women, and especially in promoting equal opportunities in employment.

5.7 - In order to develop a strategy which integrates the different strands of the current arrangements for the development and delivery of childcare and early educational services, an Expert Working Group involving the relevant interests chaired by the Department of Equality and Law Reform, will be established under this Partnership to devise a National Framework for the Development of the Childcare Sector. The Group will consider the conclusions of the Working Group on the Job Potential of Childcare, and the ESRI Survey of childcare arrangements currently being undertaken on behalf of the Commission on the Family, as well as the following specific issues:

• quantification of the job potential of the childcare sector;
• implementation of Part VII of the Child Care Act, 1991, which provides for the introduction of regulations governing safety and health standards in pre-school services and accompanying guidelines;
• the establishment of a national registration system for childcarers;
• the establishment of a nationally recognised system of certification and accreditation for childcare workers providing for an appropriate minimum qualification;
• subject to the evaluation of the current pilot project, the implications of the phased extension of the Early-Start Programme to all areas with continuing priority being given to areas of disadvantage; and
• the financing of childcare provision by a variety of means in the interest of affordable and accessible childcare.

5.8 - The Revenue Commissioners will issue guidelines clarifying the criteria used to determine to what extent childcare facilities fall within the terms of the exemption from VAT for children's education.

Family Friendly Policies

5.9 - In tandem with the development of a childcare strategy, the Government will seek to support the growth of family friendly policies in employment, in line with the recommendations contained in the policy document issued by the Employment Equality Agency in 1996, and having regard to competitive requirements. The expertise of the Employment Equality Agency in this regard will be utilised.

5.10 - Legislation will be introduced by June 1998 to give effect to the terms of the EU Directive on Parental Leave. The Government will consult with the Social Partners in preparing the provisions for this legislation.

Evaluation of Unpaid Work

5.11 - The development of statistical methods to evaluate the full extent of the contribution of unpaid work, mainly done by women and their contributions to the national economy, including their contribution in the unremunerated and domestic sectors, will be undertaken during the course of this Partnership. The CSO will undertake a pilot study based on a time-use survey during 1997 as the first stage of this process.

Pay Differentials

5.12 - A follow up study to the ESRI Report No. 163 — Male-Female Wage Differentials: Analysis and Policy Issues, will be undertaken during the course of this Partnership.

Women's Health

5.13 - A plan for women's health will shortly be published with the following objectives:

• to maximise the health and social gain of Irish women;
• to create a women-friendly health service;
• to increase consultation and representation of women in the health services; and
• to enhance the contribution of the health services to promoting women's health in the developing world.

5.14 - This plan reflects relevant policy initiatives in the health services, such as the Health Promotion Policy, the National Cancer Strategy and the National Alcohol Policy. Action will be taken at national level, where appropriate, and by Health Boards which will prepare regional plans for women's health, consistent with the national plan.

5.15 - The Department of Health will work with Health Boards and women's organisations to pilot innovative approaches to informing women about health and health services and to disseminate good practice. Particular emphasis will be placed on the development of pilot workplace programmes by employers and trade unions.

5.16 - National screening programmes for Breast Cancer and for Cervical Cancer will be developed.

5.17 - A Women's Health Council will be established which will develop a centre of expertise on women's health issues, foster research into women's health, evaluate the success of the plan for women's health in meeting its objectives and advise the Minister for Health, on women's health issues generally.

5.18 - A Working Group on Violence Against Women has been established recently by Government. The Working Group is chaired by the Minister of State at the Office of the Tánaiste and is preparing a national strategy on violence against women. The Group is drawn from relevant Government Departments and State Agencies and also includes individual experts and practitioners from relevant service delivery areas. The Group will examine existing services and supports for women who have been subjected to violence; examine legislation dealing with the victims and perpetrators of domestic violence; and make recommendations on how legislation, services and supports could be improved and made more effective. The Group is also examining the causes of violence against women and will make recommendations for a comprehensive preventative strategy as well as looking at rehabilitation programmes for the perpetrators of such crimes. The report of the Working Group will be submitted to Government by the end of February, 1997. The action to be taken at national, regional and local level will be considered in the light of the recommendations set out in the strategy.

People with Disabilities

5.19 - The Report of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities was published in November, 1996. It sets down a Strategy for Equality for people with disabilities. Having regard to the recommendations and framework set down in the Commission's report, the following measures are agreed in the context of this Partnership.

Institutional Issues

5.20 - Training and employment policy in respect of people with disabilities will be pursued as an integral part of the overall national strategy for employment growth. Regard will be had to the Recommendations of the Advisory Group on the Training of the Disabled when determining the institutional arrangements necessary to achieve this objective. In particular, consideration will be given to the allocation of the relevant functions between the Department of Enterprise and Employment and the Department of Health as part of the process of mainstreaming employment policy for people with disabilities.

Public Service Employment

5.21 - While the Civil Service meets the 3 per cent employment target for people with disabilities, progress towards meeting the target is much slower in the broader Public Service. The 3 per cent target will be met in the broader Public Service during the period of this Partnership. To this end, the following measures will be undertaken:

• responsibility for meeting the target will be assigned to a senior executive in each Health Board, Local Authority, VEC and state sponsored body; and
• a co-ordinated strategy will be put in place including:
  • the preparation and active promotion of Codes of Practice on the Employment of People with Disabilities (similar to existing codes in the Civil Service and the ESB);
  • the maintenance of proper records of employment of people with disabilities, subject to the requirement of confidentiality and privacy; and
  • the identification of suitable employment opportunities, targets and specific timescales.

Private Sector Employment Initiatives

5.22 - In order to promote the employment of people with disabilities in the Private Sector during the period of this Partnership, the following measures will be undertaken:

• the number of places under the NRB Employment Support Scheme will be restructured to provide a range of supports to employers to increase the numbers employed under the scheme up to 1,000;
• the review of the Pilot Programme for the Employment of People with Disabilities (PEP) will be completed and action will be taken on the conclusions;
• the provision for grant aid towards workplace/equipment adaptation will be increased;
• a promotional campaign in respect of the Positive to Disability Symbol and the above schemes and grants will be undertaken with the active support of the employer bodies; and
• a promotional campaign aimed at people with a disability to inform them of their rights and of relevant initiatives.

Sheltered Employment

5.23 - An additional 500 sheltered employment places will be targeted over the period of the Partnership.

5.24 - Employers, trade unions and the relevant Government Departments and agencies, in consultation with the organisations of people with disabilities, will draw up a Code of Practice on the employment of people within sheltered work provisions, which will provide for its monitoring.

Training Initiatives

5.25 - 1,000 training places will be reserved for people with disabilities on existing mainstream training courses.

Transport

5.26 - Accessibility to public transport will remain a priority of Government transport policy. In this regard, new transport initiatives such as Luas and, to the greatest extent possible, new transport infrastructure, will be fully accessible to people with disabilities. In addition, the current mobility allowance will be reviewed.

Services for People with Disabilities

People with a Mental Handicap

5.27 - Services to people with a mental handicap will be developed, within the overall resource parameters based on the needs identified by the National Intellectual Disability Database. The priorities will be:

• transfer of people inappropriately placed;
• the provision of appropriate residential places;
• funding of day care services;
• funding for respite care; and
• meeting the needs of an ageing population.

People with Physical and Sensory Disabilities

5.28 - The Report of the Review Group on the Needs and Services for Persons with Physical and Sensory Disabilities will be published early in 1997.

5.29 - Resources will be allocated, within the overall expenditure parameters for the development of services to persons with disabilities in line with the Report of the Review Group. The priorities will be:

• the development of personal assistant services;
• the provision of residential places;
• funding of day care services for persons with severe disabilities;
• funding for respite care; and
• the development of nursing/paramedical/therapy services.

Travellers

Participation

5.30 - In the context of this Partnership, the principle that the Traveller Community should be represented through its organisations in relation to health, education, accommodation and anti-discrimination policy making and implementation is fully supported.

Employment Equality and Equal Status

5.31 - The Employment Equality Bill published in 1996 extended the principles underlying the original employment legislation to cover distinct discriminatory grounds, including membership of the Traveller Community. The Equal Status legislation will also encompass Travellers.

Task Force on the Travelling Community .

5.32 - The Government strategy in response to the report of the Task Force on the Travelling Community, will continue to be implemented and will be monitored, with a view to effecting a real advance in the living circumstances of members of the Traveller Community, as well as improving relations between the settled and Traveller Communities, and a new status for the culture and identity of the Traveller Community.

Accommodation

5.33 - Under the national accommodation strategy announced by the Government, local programmes will be drawn up and adopted by Local Authorities to put in place a national programme to provide the 3,100 units of accommodation for travellers recommended by the Task Force on the Travelling Community. Implementation of the national programme will make significant progress during this Partnership.

Education

5.34 - A special Committee within the Department of Education will develop, in partnership with representatives of the Traveller Community, a national policy framework for Traveller education in line with the Task Force Report and co-ordinate its implementation.

Health

5.35 - The Department of Health will finalise the Travellers' Health Policy Statement and establish the Travellers' Health Advisory Committee in the first year of this Partnership.

Employment

5.36 - Action will be taken to endorse labour force participation by the Traveller Community and the viability of the Traveller economy on foot of the recommendations of the Task Force and in the context of the National Anti-Poverty Strategy.