The 2001 annual report [1] of the Equality Authority, launched on 26 June 2002 by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Michael McDowell, states that 405 claims were submitted to the Authority in 2001 under the Employment Equality Act 1998 (IE9909144F [2]), and 675 claims under the Equal Status Act 2000 (IE0109101F [3]) - an overall increase of over 800% on the 2000 figures. There was an increase in caseload across all nine discrimination grounds of gender, marital status, family status, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion, race and membership of the traveller community.[1] http://www.equality.ie/stored-files/PDF/Annual Report 2001.pdf[2] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/undefined-working-conditions-industrial-relations/the-implications-of-the-employment-equality-act-1998[3] www.eurofound.europa.eu/ef/observatories/eurwork/articles/implications-of-new-eu-equality-directives-in-ireland
According to its annual report issued in June 2002, the caseload of Ireland's Equality Authority increased by over 800% in 2001. Discrimination on gender grounds still constitutes the largest category of cases referred to the Authority.
The [2001 annual report](http://www.equality.ie/stored-files/PDF/Annual Report 2001.pdf) of the Equality Authority, launched on 26 June 2002 by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Michael McDowell, states that 405 claims were submitted to the Authority in 2001 under the Employment Equality Act 1998 (IE9909144F), and 675 claims under the Equal Status Act 2000 (IE0109101F) - an overall increase of over 800% on the 2000 figures. There was an increase in caseload across all nine discrimination grounds of gender, marital status, family status, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion, race and membership of the traveller community.
In relation to employment equality, the report says that discrimination on gender grounds still constitutes the largest category of cases (41%), and that discrimination on grounds of pregnancy is the biggest area of gender casework: 'Despite over 20 years of protective legislation, it is clear that women are still regularly and almost routinely discriminated against and dismissed on account of being pregnant,' the report claims.
The largest award to date issued by an equality officer, in relation to discrimination on gender grounds (and, indeed, on any grounds) was in the case of Rebecca O'Malley v Golden Vale, when the complainant was awarded compensation of EUR 107,000 after being discriminated against on pregnancy grounds.
In total, the report states that 12% of the caseload of the Equality Authority in 2001, under the Employment Equality Act, referred to incidents of sexual harassment, as well as harassment on the new grounds of race, sexual orientation and disability. Other significant areas of discrimination in 2001 included issues of accessing employment and dismissal on disability grounds. Age discrimination (7% of case files) was reported when seeking employment and promotion within employment, while 16% of dismissal cases related to dismissal on race grounds.
In addition to handling equality law cases, the Equality Authority has also attempted to build a 'consciousness of rights' by developing a communications strategy, cooperating with other organisations on information dissemination, and helping to coordinate events such as the 'anti-racist workplace week' (IE0112228F).
Eurofound doporučuje citovat tuto publikaci následujícím způsobem.
Eurofound (2002), Equality Authority caseload up by 800%, article.
