Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty

Implementing the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty in the Department

The Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty (the Public Sector Duty) is set out in section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014. It is a statutory obligation on public bodies, in the performance of their functions, to have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and protect human rights of staff and service users. It requires public bodies to assess, address and report on progress in relation to equality and human rights, in a manner that is accessible to the public.

Given the nature of the Department’s role, it does not generally provide services directly to the general public or businesses. Nonetheless, the Public Sector Duty obligations impact on the Department’s functions in many ways. To address this, and to ensure that it informs all relevant roles in the Department on an ongoing basis, the Statement of Strategy includes, under the Values section, a commitment to:

“Treat colleagues and those to whom we provide services equitably, in keeping with our Public Sector Human Rights and Equality obligations.”

The Planned Outcomes section of the Statement of Strategy includes the following outcomes that are relevant to meeting the Department’s Public Sector Duty:

Reforms that support excellence in public service delivery and strategic policy making;
A better experience for service users when transacting with government, particularly when transacting digitally;
More accountable and transparent administrative structures, which help to build greater public trust;
Engaged staff and a positive and collaborative working environment; and
Effective and efficient service delivery to relevant public bodies.

The following key vehicles are used by the Department to address its Public Sector Duty obligations:

the Equality Budgeting initiative;
Our Public Service (OPS);
People Strategy for the Civil Service;
Civil Service Renewal 2024; and the
Health and Well-being Strategy.

The development of each of these was informed by the requirements of the Public Sector Duty and the development of follow-on strategies will be similarly informed. Progress in relation to each of them is set out in the Department’s Annual Reports and also provided separately on www.gov.ie and www.ops2020.gov.ie in respect of the public-facing initiatives.