EQUALITY AUTHORITY:LABOUR MEP for Dublin Proinsias De Rossa has pledged his support for a proposal to petition the EU on a breach of race and gender law by Ireland, a move which could see the Government brought before the European Court of Justice.
At a round table discussion chaired by the Equality and Rights Alliance, a symposium of experts in equality law and lobbying groups strongly recommended a collective complaint be made to the EU Commission and the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament in respect of Government cutbacks to the Equality Authority.
“As an MEP, I have already referred the cuts to the Equality Authority to EU equality commissioner Vladimir Spidla. The cuts rendered the equality authority unable to do its duty,” Mr De Rossa said.
Under reductions in funding announced by Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern last year, the Equality Authority saw its budget contract by 43 per cent. Chief executive Niall Crowley resigned in protest.