One in eight people in Ireland have experienced discrimination

A survey published by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on 14 July 2011 shows that one in eight people in Ireland over the age of 18 experienced some form of discrimination in the two year period from the end of 2010. The highest rates of discrimination were reported in Ireland were from people of non-white ethnic backgrounds, unemployed people, non-Irish nationals and people of non-Catholic religion. Persons with a disability were more likely to experience discrimination compared with persons without a disability.

The terms of reference were based on the nine grounds of discrimination in Ireland's equality legislation. The study concluded that the two most common grounds for discrimination were race and age.

The number of people who faced discrimination when dealing with banks and financial services between 2004 and 2010 fell by 8%, while there was an increase in the percentage of people who felt they had been discriminated against in the workplace. A third of people surveyed said that they had experienced discrimination using transport services, 27% in the workplace, 22% while accessing services, and 22% in shops, pubs and restaurants.

The effect of the discrimination on the person varied depending on the context of the discrimination. Persons who experienced discrimination while accessing health, education or public services felt that the experience had a "serious effect" on them. However, persons who experienced discrimination as a once off event said it had "little or no effect". Worryingly, 60% of people surveyed who experienced discrimination chose to take no action at all as they had no understanding of their rights.

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