Equality
- Foilsithe: 1 Márta 2022
- An t-eolas is déanaí: 21 Iúil 2025
- Introduction
- Equality and Gender Equality
- Travellers and Roma
- LGBTI+
- Magdalen Restorative Justice Ex-Gratia Scheme
Introduction
The policy areas for the equality, integration and international protection division develop policy focussed on supporting the rights and aspirations of some of the most vulnerable groups in society, with a particular focus on intervention and proactive support.
Equality and Gender Equality
Gender Pay Gap
The gender pay gap is the difference in the average hourly wage of men and women across a workforce. The Gender Pay Gap Information Act 2021 requires organisations with over 150 employees to report on their hourly gender pay gap across a range of metrics. More information is available at: How to report on the Gender Pay Gap
The National Strategy for Women and Girls
The National Strategy for Women and Girls serves as the framework through which the Government pursues actions to advance gender equality. The most recent iteration covered the period 2017-2020 with a year extension to account for the disruptive impact of the COVID-19 emergency. To prepare for the next National Strategy, the Department is undertaking a public consultation with key stakeholders and members of the general public. An online survey will run until October 14th after which a series of in-person consultations will be held. The feedback from these will be developed into a report which will inform the development of the next National Strategy for Women and Girls.
More information is available at: Gender Equality - National Policies and Strategies
More information about Gender Equality available here: Gender Equality
Review of the Equality Acts
The Department is undertaking a review of Ireland’s equality legislation. Information and updates on this can be found here.
Travellers and Roma
The National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II 2024-2028was published on 31 July 2024, along with the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II - Action Plan 2024-2026. NTRIS II represents a whole of Government approach to improving the lives of Travellers and Roma in Ireland and ensure the full inclusion of Traveller and Roma communities in Irish society. The Strategy encompasses actions on key issues such as Accommodation, Education, Employment, Culture, Heritage and Identity, Combating Discrimination, and Health and Well-being, amongst others. It brings Government Departments and Agencies together along with representatives of both Traveller and Roma communities to address the issues which affect them most, in a structured way.
An Executive Summary can be viewed here.
The Irish language version of the NTRIS II Strategy and Action Plan can be accessed here.
The NTRIS II video and NTRIS II Easy to Read document, both available in English, Romanian and Czech can be accessed here.
NTRIS II replaces the previous National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy 2017 – 2021 which was published on 13 June 2017.
Additional information and updates on Traveller and Roma inclusion can be accessed at the Traveller and Roma Inclusion page
LGBTI+
The LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy 2019-2021 was published on 28 November 2019 and complements the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018-2020 published in June 2018.
The Strategy contains over 100 actions that are aimed at promoting inclusion, protecting rights and improving the quality of life and wellbeing of LGBTI+ people. It reflects the commitment in the Programme for Government to create an equal, fair and inclusive society for all, target discrimination and enable LGBTI+ people to overcome the barriers they face.
- LGBTI National Youth Strategy Implementation Report 2018 - 2021
- Process review of the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy 2018-2020
- Report on the Review of the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy May 2024
- Report of the Consultations Undertaken to Inform the Development of the Second National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy
- Summary Report of the Consultations Undertaken to Inform the Development of the Second National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy
- Report on the Consultation Undertaken with Young People to Inform the Successor to the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy
Magdalen Restorative Justice Ex-Gratia Scheme
The Report of the Inter-departmental Committee (The McAleese Report) to establish the facts of State involvement with Magdalen Laundries was published in 2013. Following that report, the Government asked Mr. Justice John Quirke to devise a scheme to address the needs of the women who were admitted to and worked in the Magdalen institutions. Justice Quirke submitted his report to Government in June, 2013 – The Magdalen Commission Report (otherwise known as the Quirke Report).
The Government accepted in principle all of the recommendations in the Quirke Report. These recommendations included the payment of an ex-gratia lump sum to each eligible woman. The report sets out the amounts which may be paid, which vary between €11,500 and €100,000.
The Government later decided to add two further institutions to the scheme - St Mary’s Domestic Training Centre, Stanhope Street; and the House of Mercy Domestic Training School, Summerhill, Wexford. For the purposes of the Ex Gratia Scheme, these twelve institutions are collectively called the ‘Magdalen institutions.’
By April 2025, €33.4m has been paid in ex-gratia awards to 833 applicants who qualified under the terms of the Scheme.
In 2017, The Ombudsman issued a report on the operation of the scheme and made a number of recommendations, all of which were accepted by Government. Arising from one of the Ombudsman’s recommendations, in May 2018 the Government decided to apply the scheme to women who worked in the laundries in the 12 institutions but who were resident in one of the 14 adjoining institutions. A complete list of the Magdalen institutions and the adjoining Institutions is set out in the table here.