The Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland, Siobhan Casey, has welcomed the progress of the Age Discrimination (Goods, Facilities and Services) Bill, which will reach Second Stage in the Northern Ireland Assembly today, Tuesday 20 October.
The Bill aims to address a longstanding gap in equality law by providing legal protection against unjustified age discrimination when people access everyday goods, facilities and services.
The Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland, Siobhan Casey, said:
"I am delighted to see the Age Discrimination (Goods, Facilities and Services) Bill reach Second Stage in the Assembly. This marks another significant milestone in efforts to tackle age discrimination and address a longstanding gap in legal protection for older people in Northern Ireland.
"For more than a decade, my office has consistently called for legislation to protect older people from unfair treatment when accessing everyday goods, facilities and services. Older people here have waited far too long for protections that are already in place elsewhere, and it is very encouraging to see progress being made towards addressing this inequality. Older people should not be disadvantaged simply because of their age.
"My office is currently undertaking a detailed review of the draft Bill to assess whether it delivers the strongest possible protections for older people in practice. We will publish our analysis and recommendations very soon and I look forward to engaging with MLAs on this as the legislation moves forward.
"This is an important step forward and one that I know many older people will welcome. I thank Claire Sugden for her work on this so far and I give my commitment that I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure this Bill delivers the comprehensive and effective protections that older people in Northern Ireland both need and deserve."
