Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty

All public bodies in Ireland are required under law to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of their employees, customers, service users and everyone affected by their policies and plans. This legal obligation is called the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty (the Duty).

The Duty has been part of Irish law since 2014 and is set out in section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014. It embeds equality and human rights in how public bodies execute their functions and to that end, it has the potential to positively transform how public bodies engage with members of the public, and their own staff.

ODCE will work to ensure the elimination of discrimination, promotion of equality of opportunity and protection of the human rights of those to whom they provide services and staff when carrying out their daily work.

In its day to day work and particularly in its dealings with stakeholders the Office ensures that no member of the public or other stakeholder suffers discrimination in interactions with the Office under any of the protected grounds; gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, disability, age, race, religion and membership of the Traveller community.

The Office extends the same equality of treatment to its staff.