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Irish AntiDiscrimination Law

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Title: Irish AntiDiscrimination Law


1
Irish Anti-Discrimination Law
  • ByShivaun Quinlivan

2
Relevant Acts
  • Employment Equality Act 1998
  • Equal Status Act 2000
  • Equality Act 2004
  • Employment Equality Act 1998-2004
  • Equal Status Act 2000-2004

3
Defining Disability
  • the total or partial absence
  • the presence in the body of organisms
  • the malfunction, malformation
  • a condition or malfunction which results in a
    person learning differently
  • a condition, illness or disease affecting thought
    processes

4
Disability Definition continued
  • Includes present, past, imputed and future
    disabilities
  • EEA amended to include discrimination by
    association
  • Multiple discrimination

5
Definition cases
  • Mr. O v. A Named Company - does not have to be a
    work related disability.
  • A Complainant v. Café Kylemore - alcoholism
    including recovering alcoholics are covered.
  • Customer Perception Ltd. v. Leydon - temporary
    disabilities covered.
  • Six Complainants v. a Public House, -
    discrimiantion by association.
  • Two Complainants v. A Primary School - illiteracy
    is not a disability
  • Health Service Employee v. The Health Service
    Executive, - imputed disability
  • Mulitple discrimination

6
Scope of the EEA
  • Access to employment
  • Conditions of employment
  • Training or experience for or in relation to
    employment
  • Promotion, re-grading or classification of posts
  • Vocational training
  • Advertising
  • Collective agreements
  • Employment Agencies
  • Equality Clause

7
Scope of the ESA
  • The provision of goods and services to the public
  • Disposal of premises and the provision of
    accommodation
  • Educational establishments.
  • Clubs (Portmarnock Case)
  • Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003

8
The Acts
  • Prohibit
  • Direct Discrimination
  • Indirect Discrimination
  • Harassment
  • Victimisation Procurement of Discrimination
  • Require
  • Reasonable Accommodation
  • Permit
  • Positive Action

9
Direct Discrimination
  • Where a person within one of the grounds is
    treated less favourably than another is, has been
    or would be treated.
  • Issues
  • Similarly situated - Schumacker and Gillespie
  • Burden of Proof Flexco and Scruffys Bar
  • Who may be a comparator
  • Person with a different disability
  • Person with no disability
  • Hypothetical person
  • Intention to discriminate

10
Indirect Discrimination
  • Three definitions of indirect discrimination
  • Pay related S29 EEA
  • Non-Pay related S31 EEA
  • Equal Status provision S3 ESA
  • Indirect discrimination is deemed to occur where
    an apparently neutral provision puts a person
    belonging to a particular discriminatory ground
    at a particular disadvantage compared with
    other employees of their . The test to justify
    indirect discrimination is that the
    discriminatory provision must be objectively
    justified by a legitimate aim and the means of
    achieving the aim are appropriate and necessary.

11
Constitutional Difficulties
  • Re the Employment Equality Bill 1996, 1997 2
    I.R. 321, and Re the Equal Status Bill 1996
    1997 2 IR 387
  • Provision on reasonable accommodation
    unconstitutional
  • Court recognised the laudable aim of making
    provision for such of our fellow citizens as are
    disabled
  • Equality v. Private Property Rights

12
Divergence in measures
  • Employment Equality Act 1998-2004 new improved
    provision on reasonable accommodation as a result
    of General Framework Directive
  • Equal Status Act 2000-2004 retains the old and
    restrictive definition of reasonable
    accommodation because of the constitutional
    problems and the narrow scope of the General
    Framework Directive

13
Reasonable Accommodation - EEA
  • For the purposes of this Act a person who has a
    disability is fully competent to undertake, and
    fully capable of undertaking, any duties if the
    person would be so fully competent and capable on
    appropriate measures being taken by the persons
    employer.
  • Appropriate measures should be taken to enable
    access to employment participation or advancement
    in employment accessing of training.
  • unless the measures would impose a
    disproportionate burden on the employer.

14
Disproportionate Burden
  • Account may be taken of
  • the financial and other costs entailed
  • the scale and financial resources of the employer
  • the number of persons who would benefit
  • any disruption that would be caused by them
  • the nature of any benefit or detriment
  • the possibility of obtaining public funding
  • any benefit that would accrue to the employer

15
Appropriate Measures
  • effective and practical measures, to adapt the
    employers place of business
  • Can involve adaptation of
  • Premises
  • equipment
  • patterns of working time
  • distribution of tasks
  • provision of training or integration resources
  • does not include any treatment, facility or thing
    that the person might ordinarily or reasonably
    provide for himself or herself.

16
RA - prior to amendment
  • No requirement to recruit or promote, retain a
    person in a position where
  • Person wont undertake the duties
  • Not capable of undertaking the duties
  • A person with a disability shall be regarded as
    capable and competent if with special treatment
    or facilities they would be
  • Employer obligated to provide reasonable
    accommodation
  • Failure to provide reasonable accommodation is
    not reasonable unless it gives rise to more than
    a nominal cost.

17
Reasonable Accommodation - EEA
  • Pre-Employment - Harrington v. East Coast Area
    Health Board, - necessity for accessible
    interview venues
  • Essential Functions - A Computer Component
    Company v. A Worker, - arrangements may be made
    in respect of minor functions of a job
  • Nominal Cost Broadly interpreted
  • An Employee v. A Local Authority
  • A Motor Co. v. a Worker,
  • Mr. C v. Iarnród Éireann

18
Reasonable Accommodation EEA Contd
  • Medical evidence - Health and Fitness Club v. A
    Worker - employers obligation to get
    information, and complainant involvement
  • Provision of Equipment - A Motor Co. v. a Worker
    Must be appropriate equipment
  • Training - An Employee v. A Local Authority
    provision of a job coach for three months
  • Dismissal A Company v. A Worker, - dismissal
    without considering any form of reasonable
    accommodation

19
Reasonable Accommodation - ESA
  • For the purposes of this Act discrimination
    includes a refusal or failure by the provider of
    a service to do all that is reasonable to
    accommodate the needs of a person with a
    disability by providing special treatment or
    facilities if without such special treatment or
    facilities it would be impossible or unduly
    difficult for the person to avail himself or
    herself of the service.
  • A refusal or failure to provide the special
    treatment or facilities in question shall not be
    deemed reasonable unless such provision would
    give rise to a cost, other than a nominal cost,
    to the provider of the service in question.

20
Reasonable Accommodation ESA
  • Access to Premises
  • Roche v. Alabaster Associates Limited t/a
    Madigans, - refusal of access to guide dog
  • Forrestal v. Hearns Hotel, Clonmel, - refusal of
    access to wheelchair user
  • Six Complainants v. a Public House refusal of
    access to person with a disability and those
    associated with him

21
Harassment
  • Harassment is conduct which has the purpose or
    effect of violating a persons dignity and
    creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading,
    humiliating or offensive environment for the
    person.
  • Harassment is unwanted conduct which may consist
    of
  • acts,
  • requests,
  • spoken words,
  • Gestures
  • The production or display or circulation of
    written words, pictures or other material.

22
Harassment contd
  • Harassment can be perpetrated by
  • Colleague
  • Employer
  • Client, customer or other business contact
  • Statutory Defence
  • Took reasonable steps
  • Suggests a process or policy is necessary

23
Victimisation
  • Requires
  • Dismissal
  • Adverse Treatment

24
Who is covered
  • Complainant
  • Litigant
  • Assisting a Litigant
  • Comparator
  • Witness
  • Prospective Litigant
  • Opposing Discrimination (Lawfully)

25
Case Law - Ireland
  • Salmon v. Para Equestrian Ireland
  • that the complainant has in good faith taken any
    of the actions
  • that the respondent has treated the complainant
    in a particular way as a result of that action
  • that the treatment is less favourable
  • Then the burden of proof shifts

26
A Complainant v. A Department Store
  • in view of the untrue and unfounded allegations
    you have made to the Employment Equality
    Authority we are not for the foreseeable future
    going to accept any application from you for
    employment in our store, or indeed any other
    branch.
  • Victimisation occurred awarded 12,700.

27
Dublin City Council v. McCarthy
  • the victimisation of a person for having in good
    faith taken a claim under the equality
    legislation is very serious, as it could have the
    effect of undermining the effectiveness of the
    legislation.
  • Awarded - 25,000.

28
Bleach v. Our Lady Immaculate Senior School
  • 1st Interview for a promotion challenged
  • This challenge was successful
  • Required to re-hold interview
  • 2nd interview
  • Asked during the interview is this a fair
    interview?
  • Chairperson of second interview was also a member
    of the first interview panel.
  • Award
  • She refused compensation
  • She had to be appointed to the position with pay
    backdated.

29
Positive Action
  • Both of the Equality Acts are permissive of
    positive Action.
  • Section 33 EEA
  • Section 14 ESA

30
Exceptions - EEA
  • genuine and determining occupational requirement
  • Defence Forces
  • Limitations in respect of the Garda Síochána,
    prison service or any of the emergency services
  • Provision of personal services
  • Section 35 permissive of differential pay rates

31
Exceptions - ESA
  • Section 14
  • Pensions, annuities, insurance policies -
    actuarial data
  • Sporting events
  • Entertainment authenticity
  • Section 15
  • Certain exceptions re aircraft
  • Educational Establishments
  • Sporting events
  • Disability Exception
  • Preferential fees
  • Genuine and determining occupational requirement

32
Remedies
  • Compensation
  • Orders for employers to take specific courses of
    action,
  • Re-instatement
  • Re-engagement.
  • Issues
  • Equality Authority
  • Effective, proportionate and dissuasive

33
Remedies ESA
  • Compensation
  • Order a Course of Action
  • Issues
  • Enforcement of orders
  • Amount of awards

34
Web pages
  • Equality Authority www.equality.ie
  • Equality Tribunal www.equalitytribunal.ie
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