Minister: Extension to Equality Act 'unworkable'
Minister of State for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Willie O’Dea has described proposed extensions to the Employment Equality Act as ‘unworkable’.
The changes could have seen discrimination on grounds of criminal conviction outlawed.
Mr O'Dea said legislating against such discrimination would cause great difficulties in practice.
The Equality Authority is seeking to extend the Act on four grounds: criminal conviction, political opinion, membership of a trade union and socio-economic status.
The proposals are said to have originated due to a number of complaints from people claiming they suffered discrimination in employment due to a criminal conviction.
However, Mr O’Dea said he had the "gravest reservations" over extending the Act to cover the area of criminal convictions.
He cited the example of supermarkets not being able to discriminate when a convicted serial shoplifter applies for a position.
More gravely, Mr O’Dea said another such example was employers involved with young people not being able to discriminate against convicted paedophiles.
But Chief Executive Officer of Equality Authority Mr Niall Crowley said where an offence was "objectively incompatible" with the job an exception would have to be made.
He said it was important to recognise this form of discrimination in order to assist people with criminal convictions back into the workplace.
