Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty

    Maynooth University (MU) sees it as vital that we respond through positive actions to the objective of greater inclusion, as stated in our Strategic Plan 2023 -2028. We have a reputation for authentic, strengths-based access initiatives, supporting participation, engagement, and progression for all students. We will build on this legacy and on our commitment to social justice to ensure that every member of our University community has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of who they are and where they come from.

    Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 requires public bodies to have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, promote equality, and protect human rights for service users, policy beneficiaries, and employees, across all their function areas. This is known as the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty (the Duty). Public bodies are required to: undertake an assessment of the equality and human rights issues facing the identified groups for the Duty that would have a relevance for their functions; identify the steps being taken or proposed to be taken to address the issues as assessed; and report annually on their progress in addressing these issues and implementing the Duty. The assessment and plans should be set out in a manner that is accessible to the public in the institution’s strategic plan. 
     

    ⇒ Assess Step: Identify equality and human rights issues relevant to the purpose and function of the organisation. 
    ⇒ Address Step: Identify the policies, plans and actions in place or proposed to be put in place to address equality and human rights issues. 
    ⇒ Report Step: Report on developments and achievements in implementing the Duty in a manner that is accessible to the public. 
    A document on each of these steps is available below.

     
    The Irish Human Rights Commission has recommended that, in implementing the Duty, organisations should keep a focus on those groups:
    ⇒ covered by the nine protected grounds under equality legislation:

    • gender (including gender identity and gender expression);
    • civil status;
    • family status (including lone parents and carers);
    • age;
    • disability (defined broadly in the legislation to include medical conditions, mental health and invisible disabilities;
    • sexual orientation;
    • race (encompassing race, colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins);
    • religion; and
    • membership of the Traveller community; and

    ⇒ at risk of poverty and social exclusion, in effect a socio-economic status ground.
    The ten identified groups for the Duty are not homogenous, and significant diversity exists across and within the identified groups, in regard to the situation, experience, and identity of individuals. Issues of intersectionality are relevant in this regard, in terms of multiple and/or compounding negative impact due to discrimination, inequality, social exclusion and/or disadvantage experienced. Intersectionality could usefully be identified as a further strand to the groups identified for the Duty.

    Organisations are required to implement the Duty across all their function areas. The core function areas identified by MU encompass:

    • Teaching, Learning and Student Success (including assessment)
    • Promoting and conducting research
    • Innovation
    • Employment
    • Support for student and staff wellbeing
    • Corporate governance (including procurement)
    • IT & Digital Transformation
    • Campus Development and Estates
    • Provision of student accommodation
    • Community outreach (for example, through access programmes and events)
    • Recreational and visitor services (e.g. public cultural spaces, sports offer, etc.)

    MU has considered the Duty part of its Strategic Plan, which is available here.