Public bodies in Ireland have a responsibility to promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect the human rights of their employees, customers, service users and everyone affected by their policies and plans. This is a legal obligation, called the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty, set out in Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Act 2014. How do we implement this across the organisation? In this blog, further education and training Quality Assurance Support Officer Joanne Whitelock tells us about the approach taken within Donegal College of Further Education and Training towards implementing the Duty.
The Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty require all public bodies in Ireland to think about equality and human rights in everything they do and to make sure their services are fair, inclusive and accessible to everyone.
Public bodies must identify equality or human rights issues that may affect the people who use their services, take action to address these issues, and report on the progress they are making. This is often described as a simple three-step process: Assess, Address and Report.
For Donegal ETB’s further education and training services, the Duty is particularly important because of the support provided to a wide range of learners from diverse backgrounds. These include people with disabilities, migrants, refugees, members of the Traveller community, adults returning to education, people with literacy needs and those experiencing social or economic disadvantage. Applying the Duty means ensuring that everyone has a fair opportunity to access, participate in and succeed in education and training.
The Duty also encourages ETBs to look at their policies, programmes and services through an equality and human rights lens. This means considering whether any decisions could unintentionally create barriers for learners or staff and taking steps to remove those barriers. It helps ensure that education and training services are designed to meet the needs of all learners.
Donegal ETB has made significant progress in embedding the Public Sector Duty across the organisation. Through its 2026 Duty Action Plan, the ETB has committed to strengthening equality and human rights considerations in planning, decision-making and service delivery.
One of the key actions is the inclusion of equality and human rights principles in the development of Donegal ETB’s new Strategic Plan. The organisation is reviewing equality and human rights issues across its services, including those provided through Donegal College of Further Education and Training, and ensuring that these are reflected in future priorities and objectives. Donegal ETB is also using Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessments to help evaluate policies, programmes and strategies across the organisation before they are implemented.
Within further education and training, the Duty is applied to the development of new programmes, including those focused on green skills and digital skills, for example. Work is also underway to improve accessibility, review communications and website content, and strengthen learner participation in decision-making processes.
Inclusion is also promoted through a range of initiatives, including Universal Design for Learning, Adult Literacy for Life, learner voice activities and targeted supports for underrepresented groups. Particular attention is being given to increasing opportunities for learners with disabilities, supporting refugees and asylum seekers, improving access for disadvantaged communities and ensuring that guidance services are available to those who need them most.
To support implementation, Donegal ETB has established a Public Sector Duty Working Group, which includes further education and training staff, is developing systems to monitor progress and report on outcomes and is providing training to staff on equality and human rights.
Overall, the Public Sector Duty provides a framework for creating a more inclusive and equitable education system. Through its ongoing work, Donegal ETB is demonstrating a strong commitment to ensuring that equality, diversity, inclusion and human rights are at the heart of its further education and training services, across its Donegal College of Further Education and Training campuses and in local communities.