Ireland's UN SDGs - Goal 10 Reduced Inequalities 2021

Goal 10 - Reduce inequality within and among countries

The aim of a fair, equal and inclusive society where rights are respected, and where everyone can reach their potential is promoted through a series of whole-of-Government Equality Strategies which bring together a range of actions to address the needs of some of the most vulnerable in our society. These include the National Strategy for Women and Girls, the National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy, the National LGBTI+ Inclusion Strategy, the LGBTI+ National Youth Strategy, the Migrant Integration Strategy, the Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities and the National Disability Inclusion Strategy.

Under the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty, all public bodies in Ireland have a responsibility 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 responsibility arises from Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Act 2014.

Discrimination is prohibited in law under the Equal Status Acts 2000-2018 – which apply to the provision of goods and services - and the Employment Equality Acts 1998-2015 – which apply to employment and training. This legislation, collectively known as the Equality Acts, prohibits discrimination across nine grounds: gender, marital status, family status, age, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion, and membership of the Traveller community. The Equality Acts also include provisions aimed at promoting equality.

The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) has the lead responsibility for the promotion of equality in society and more details on the work of the Department and new initiatives can be found on the DCEDIY website.

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), Ireland’s independent national human rights and equality institution, promotes and protects human rights and equality in Ireland. More details on the work can be found on the  IHREC website.