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Tag Archives: discrimination

McNamara seeks answers on Defence Forces scandal

CLARE’S Independent TD has robustly challenged the Minister for Defence over the sector’s track record in tackling discrimination, following a ground-breaking RTE radio documentary. Deputy Michael McNamara said that while he believed that the abuse of power within the Defence Forces, and similar organisations with a command structure, is limited to a small minority, there was still a tendency to “circle the wagons rather than tackle the problem”. As Minister Simon Coveney answered Priority Questions (PQs) in the Dail last week, a number of deputies raised concerns about the revelations of sexual coercion and harassment detailed in the ‘Women of Honour’ documentary. Deputy McNamara noted that his own query for the minister was on a related theme, and he asked for an update on the Defence Forces’ process of implementing recommendations on anti-discrimination law. The Scariff-based TD drew the chamber’s attention to the findings, last December, of a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) hearing which made a series of recommendations on …

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Clare LGBTQ+ move to overcome discrimination

DISCRIMINATION is being experienced by the vast majority of Clare’s LGBTQ+ community, a new survey has found. In research conducted by a number of local agencies, including the Clare Public Participation Network (PPN), as part of the LGBTQ+ Clare project, 70% of those who responded reported facing discrimination because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. An online meeting will take place later this month as a forum for members of the community to share their views and experiences and address a sense of isolation, which a majority of respondents also reported. Another major issue of concern that emerged from the research is the need for social outlets and supports. 80% of respondents said they would like more opportunities to connect with community members. Over half of all respondents did not feel sufficiently connected and supported in their community.  One of those who gave her views to researchers said, “I would love a way to meet other LGBTQ people in Clare and just …

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Falls Hotel loses discrimination case

A North Clare man was discriminated against on the grounds of gender by a well-known hotel, when it allowed “a female member of staff enter the gents’ changing room while it was occupied”, it has been found, in what may be the first case of its kind in Ireland. In the extremely unusual case, The Falls Hotel was ordered to pay Lahinch man, Thomas Flanagan compensation, after it was determined that the Ennistymon hotel had discriminated against him by treating him less favourably than a woman would have been if the circumstances were reversed. Mr Flanagan contacted the director of the Equality Tribunal on May 13, 2014, claiming The Falls Hotel, Ennistymon, had discriminated against him by subjecting him to regular occurrences of a female member of staff entering the gents’ changing room of The Falls Hotel, “which resulted in his discrimination, harassment and victimisation between October 2012 and January 2014”, contrary to the Equal Status Acts 2000 and 2012. …

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A cold and damp caravan to call home

A NORTH Clare couple and their four young children are among the 6,239 people currently seeking accommodation in Clare. James Sherlock and his partner, Caroline Sherlock, have been living in a caravan at the front of Caroline’s family’s home in Ennistymon for the past year and a half. Now with four children, aged between four years and four weeks, the couple are at their wits’ end. “We have to go into my parents’ house to use the toilet, the shower and to do any cooking. Even at night, if my daughter wants to go to the toilet, we have to go out in the rain to get to the toilet in the house,” Caroline outlined. The family found this summer especially difficult because of the wet weather and are dreading the winter. “Like all children, they just want to play outside but, basically, they have been stuck in here,” Caroline said, indicating the one-room caravan. The caravan does not have …

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