Governance
dlr Equality Office
Our Public Sector Equality & Human Rights Duty Implementation Plan is now available to read below.
About the dlr Equality Office
The newly established Equality Office is responsible for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). The Equality Officer will ensure that the council has the policies and structures in place to meet its statutory obligations under relevant legislation including the Equal Status Acts and the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty. The Equality Officer role is within the Corporate Affairs directorate with duties assigned from both the Corporate Services and Human Resources departments. The Equality Officer is a key point of contact and liaison with other Sections or Departments in the council, providing guidance and leadership on all matters relating to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
For more information and to access materials and support, contact:
Equality Officer- Elaine Ryan
Governance Section
Corporate Affairs
Dún Laogahire-Rathdown County Council
Email: EqualityAccess@dlrcoco.ie
Public Sector Equality & Human Rights Duty
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council recognises the need to eliminate discrimination, protect human rights and promote equality of opportunity through the implementation of the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty.
This commitment is now underpinned by a legal obligation, the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty, provided for in the Irish Human Rights and Equality Act 2014.
Section 42 of the 2014 Act requires public bodies to have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, promote equality, and protect human rights for staff, service users and policy beneficiaries across all their functions. Specifically, public bodies are required to implement three steps:
- Assess: establish those issues that face the identified groups for the duty that have a relevance for the functions of dlr.
- Address: check plans and policies at final draft or review stage to establish what actions are being taken to address these issues and what further actions need to be included for an adequate and appropriate response to these issues.
- Report: report annually on progress made on implementing the duty and addressing the issues identified.
We have prepared a framework strategy for implementation of our Public Sector Duty which is referenced on page 53 of our Corporate Plan 2025-2029.
Click here to read our Corporate Plan 2025-2029.
Our Public Sector Equality & Human Rights Duty Implementation plan can be found at the following links:
Access Officer and Inquiry Officer
Access Officer
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has appointed an Access Officer in accordance with section 26(2) of the Disability Act 2005.
The Access Officer provides and coordinates assistance and guidance to people with disabilities in accessing Council services. The Access Officer also works across the Council to support accessibility and inclusion and provides advice and guidance on matters relating to accessibility and disability.
If you have a query about accessibility or access to Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council services, please contact EqualityAccess@dlrcoco.ie.
Inquiry Officer
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council has appointed an Inquiry Officer in accordance with section 39 of the Disability Act 2005.
Under section 38 of the Disability Act 2005, a person may make a written complaint to the Council where they consider that the Council has failed to comply with sections 25, 26, 27, 28 or 29 of the Act.
The Inquiry Officer is responsible for investigating complaints made under section 38. The Inquiry Officer will investigate the complaint independently and prepare a report setting out the findings of the inquiry and, where appropriate, the steps to be taken to ensure compliance with the Act.
If you wish to make a complaint under section 38 of the Disability Act 2005, please contact info@dlrcoco.ie stating this and type “Inquiry Officer” in the subject line or in the body of your email.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of an inquiry, you may contact the Office of the Ombudsman for further information about making a complaint under the Disability Act.
dlr Together | dlr Le Chéile
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council’s Equality Office & Local Authority Integration Team have launched the ‘dlr Together - dlr Le Chéile’ campaign to promote understanding and awareness of inclusion and integration, in addition to providing resources and information on reporting racism and combating prejudice in the county.
The campaign includes a varied programme of training including;
- An online and social media awareness campaign ‘Know Your Rights’;
- Launch of the Irish Network Against Racism’s (INAR) iReport Portal and Responding to Racism Resources;
- Launch of the Equality Office information on our website, hosting all of the resources and additional information around accessibility, equality, diversity and inclusion.
The Sustainable Alliances Against Anti-Muslim Hatred (SALAAM) Project
SALAAM is a European Commission funded project, working in partnership with civil society organisations Doras, the Immigrant Council of Ireland and the Irish Network Against Racism.
The main focus of the SALAAM project is to create resources designed to challenge anti-Muslim hatred in Ireland. These include anti-racism training; resources to support those who have experienced racism; and public awareness campaigns such as this.
Almost one-in-three Muslim men and women had experienced anti-Muslim hostility and/or discrimination. Importantly, when comparing experiences, Muslim women were almost twice as likely to experience anti-Muslim hatred, be it hostility or discrimination, when compared to Muslim men.
The below collection of stories derives from discussions gathered during the SALAAM project with almost two-hundred members of Ireland’s Muslim communities. This selection provides insights into the negative experiences and related impacts of anti-Muslim hatred as shared by participants. However, to this we have also included some of the positive experiences that participants recalled. It is hoped that by sharing these insights, we can go some way toward raising the public consciousness of this phenomenon and its potential impact on those targeted.
We want to conclude by thanking all of those who participated in SALAAM, all partner organisations, the project team, and all of those who supported us.
SALAAM Project: Directory of National & Local Anti-Racism Support Services
Reporting Tools
iReport - Race Related Crime Reporting Portal
If you or anyone you know has experienced or witnessed racism, you can report it via the iReport system.
Click here to report an incident now.
The iReport.ie system allows the people, communities, and organisations of Ireland to confidentially report racism nationwide.
All reports are sent to the Irish Network Against Racism (INAR).
Hate Crime Reporting Portal
What is a hate crime?
Any criminal offence which is perceived by the victim or any other person to, in whole or in part, be motivated by hostility or prejudice, based on actual or perceived age, disability, race, colour, nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation or gender.
An Garda Síochána have an online hate crime reporting portal if you are, or have been, the victim or witness of a hate crime/incident and do not wish to make a report at a Garda station.
Click here to access the portal.
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