485. Deputy Claire Kerrane asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality to advise when the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 will be progressed. [66367/26]

I am very pleased to say that the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill has been given Priority Drafting on the Autumn Legislative Programme, which was published on 16 September.

This Bill includes a number of legislative provisions arising from a comprehensive review of Ireland’s equality legislation. Government approved the publication of the General Scheme of this Bill in November 2024. At the same time, approval was granted, in principle, for the introduction of a new equality ground of socioeconomic 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.

A drafter has been appointed and work is underway. 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 socioeconomic ground, including through consultation with relevant stakeholders.

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.