Public Sector Duty

All public bodies in Ireland have a responsibility, under the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty or the Public Sector Duty, to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of their employees, customers and service users. This is a legal obligation of public bodies as contained in Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Act 2014. The purpose of the Public Sector Duty is to put equality at the centre of the daily work of public bodies, through the development of policies and good practice. As part of their obligations, public bodies are required to assess, address and report on their progress in relation to equality and human rights as part of their strategic plan and annual reports.