Anti-discrimination laws must not be undermined by "unrelated regulations" designed to curb excessive drinking, a coalition of equality groups has said.
More than 20 organisations, including the Irish Traveller Movement, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, are calling on the Minister for Justice to remove the issue of discrimination from the Intoxicating Liquor Bill.
Acting under the banner of the Coalition for Equality, they also want cases of alleged discrimination to remain under the jurisdiction of the Equality Tribunal and not the District Courts.
"To transfer discrimination cases from the tribunal to the District Courts is to bow to the vintners and differentiate them from other service-providers," said Mr Thomas McCann, of the Irish Traveller Movement. "Including that proposal in the liquor legislation is to confuse the issue of the abuse of drink with the issue of discrimination."
Mr McCann was speaking at a Coalition for Equality protest rally outside the Department of Justice yesterday.
Removal of discrimination cases involving publicans from the jurisdiction of the Equality Tribunal would deny justice to those who could not afford to take cases to the District Court, said Ms Inez McCormack, of ICTU.
The vintners' lobby was the only one which had recommended the change from the Equality Tribunal to the District Court, Ms McCormack said, and the Coalition for Equality was concerned that this would set a dangerous precedent of undermining the equality legislation.
"None should have the luxury of regarding themselves above the law. Will this mean if any group doesn't like a law against discrimination, they will just be able to have it changed?"
