Equality Before The Law

Introduction

Employment Equality legislation in Ireland is to be found in the Employment Equality Act 1998 as amended by the Equality Act 2004. This legislation is extremely detailed but in effect makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate against a person on the basis of gender, marital status, family status, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, race, and membership of the traveller community. These are referred to as the "discriminatory grounds".

The legislation applies to existing employees in relation to terms and conditions of employment and such issues as access to training and promotion. However, perhaps less obviously and just as importantly, it also applies to potential employees and has a significant impact in relation to the entire recruitment process from job descriptions, advertisements and the interview and selection process itself. Unsuccessful job applicants may