Funding cut for Equality Authority

Madam, – We, the undersigned, wish to express our grave concern at the position of the Equality Authority following the recent…

Madam, – We, the undersigned, wish to express our grave concern at the position of the Equality Authority following the recent resignation of its director Niall Crowley and the subsequent resignations of several board members.

Despite the manifest success of the authority’s work, the Department of Justice announced last year that its budget would be cut by 43 per cent; this was a dramatically bigger cut than any of the reductions imposed on other Justice-funded agencies. It will obviously render the authority far less effective in practice.

We believe there will be seriously adverse consequences for people experiencing discrimination and important negative consequences at European level if EU equality directives are not properly implemented. We ask the Department of Justice to restore as a matter of urgency adequate funding to the Equality Authority. – Yours, etc,

SEÓIRSE BODLEY,

ANTHONY CRONIN,

BRIAN FRIEL,

SEAMUS HEANEY,

LOUIS LE BROCQUY,

PATRICK SCOTT,

CAMILLE SOUTER,

(Saoithe of Aosdána),

c/o Carlisle Street,

Dublin 8.