Address by Dr. Angela Kerins, Chairperson of the Equality Authority, at the First Meeting of Board and New CEO in Roscrea office
Reception at the Equality Authority, Birchgrove House, Roscrea
16th June 2009
Good afternoon,
I'm delighted to welcome you to the Equality Authority's new offices in Birchgrove House, here in Roscrea and would like to thank you for coming today, to meet with the Board, our new Chief Executive and the staff of the Authority.
The official opening of these offices and the publication, recently of our Strategic Plan for the period 2009-2011 mark a new chapter in the life of the Authority and one which we are very much looking forward to.
Our Strategic Plan entitled, "Equality for All in a time of Change" will ensure that the Authority is in a position to comprehensively meet the needs of the people of Ireland in a rapidly changing society. It was developed following a very thorough national consultation process and is a bold and ambitious vision for our future.
Our plan sets out 6 strategic goals, how we will achieve them, and how we will measure that achievement. We are committed to achieving all of our goals and we will promote greater awareness of rights and responsibilities. We value and will further develop our engagement with the European Institutions, including the Commission and our fellow equality bodies in other EU member States.
We will pursue our legal work with vigour. We will continue to offer leadership in the development of European equality law and practice. We will not only draw on our own experience and achievements in advancing case law, but will also cite the great work and learning of others.
The Board of the Equality Authority recognises and appreciates fully its responsibility to ensure an independent, efficient and effective Authority that will provide a quality service provision while achieving value for money. We are confident that through effective use of resources and a 'can do' attitude, we can fully deliver on the ambitions set out in this Plan.
Our new offices here in Roscrea will aid us in the achievement of our strategic goals. It will allow us to extend our geographical, rural and community reach, enabling us to bring news of our services to a greater customer base. I would like to take this opportunity to convey my personal thanks, and that of all my colleagues on the Board, to the staff in Roscrea.
This office first opened in March 2007 and I'm sure that you will join with me in congratulating Mr. Michael Fogarty and Rocktop Holdings who, in partnership with the OPW have developed this landmark office.
Our staff here on the ground have wasted no time developing new outreach opportunities throughout the Midland, Southern and South-Western regions of the country at key local and community levels. These links and activities will continue to deepen with the full support of the Board and Chief Executive.
This office also houses our Public Information Centre, as well as other legal, administrative and development functions. These are being complemented by the continued work of colleagues in the development, legal, communications and research areas in the Dublin office. An enormous amount of work has gone into ensuring that the transition to two offices has gone smoothly. On behalf of the Board I would like to thank all of our staff for their continued commitment to building a robust framework for equality in Ireland.
Like all other public bodies, the Equality Authority has to adapt to the reality of more limited resources. This may limit what we have to spend but not what we can achieve.
Let there be no mistake we shall continue to pursue, without fear or favour, anyone who would discriminate against some of the weakest sections of our society. We will continue to challenge those who would settle for a world where, if you happen to have a disability, or are a pensioner, or are gay, or a Traveller that it's ok to treat you as a second class citizen.
We will continue to fight for equality for all of us, recognising that no one person deserves to be treated more favourably than another because of the colour of their skin, or the God they believe in. The Equality Authority is here and ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who share our concerns and our dreams of dignity and equality for all in a time of change.
In this spirit, we hope that in meeting today we can deepen our work and cooperation together for the future. We want to see you all back again working with us in the future so spread the word of our welcome to all.
I would now like to introduce you to Renee Dempsey, our Chief Executive and ask her to say a few words. This is Renee's first formal reception as Chief Executive and we are delighted to have her on board.
Related articles:- Address by Renee Dempsey, CEO of The Equality Authority, at the First Meeting of Board and New CEO in Roscrea office
Address by Renee Dempsey, CEO of The Equality Authority at the First Meeting of Board and New CEO at the Equality Authority Offices in Roscrea - 16 June 2009
- First Meeting of Board and New CEO at the Equality Authority Offices in Roscrea
Press Release - 12 June 2009
