2919. Deputy Ivana Bacik asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 2848 of 28 July 2026, if she will report on drafting work undertaken and completed by her Department on legislation to include socioeconomic disadvantage as a ground for discrimination; the reason for the delay in producing legislation in respect of same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60373/26]

In November 2024, Government approved the publication of the General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill, which includes a number of legislative provisions arising from a review of Ireland’s equality legislation. At the same time, approval was granted, in principle, for the introduction of a new equality ground of socio-economic disadvantage in Ireland’s equality legislation, subject to the completion of an assessment of the potential costs for the Exchequer and of the Enhanced SME test examining the potential impact on SMEs of the introduction of such an equality ground. The Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill is currently in the drafting process. The finalisation of the report on the Enhanced SME test is underway as part of that process.

Detailed work has been undertaken on assessing the potential impact of adding a socio-economic ground, including through consultation with relevant stakeholders, and drawing on

• academic studies from Ireland and abroad,

• submissions relating to this topic received as part of the Review of the Equality Acts,

• recent Private Member’s Bills, and

• the legislation of other jurisdictions, and rulings made in these jurisdictions on equality cases.

The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Equality undertook pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme and issued its report in October 2025. Officials in the Department are considering this and the other recommendations of this report as part of ongoing work.