Ulster Unionist Leader Mike Nesbitt MLA has urged the public to engage with the Office of the First and deputy First Ministers’ ‘Consultation on proposals to extend Age Discrimination Legislation’ as it applies to goods, services and facilities but highlights a weakness in the legislation in that it does not apply to children and young people under 16.
Mr Nesbitt, who is Chair of the Assembly’s OFMdFM committee, said:
“The launch of the consultation process on proposals to extend age discrimination legislation as it affects goods, facilities and services is to be welcomed.
“This consultation belatedly fulfils a Programme for Government commitment to legislate in the area of age discrimination, but has a major weakness in that it does not include young people.
“Nonetheless, I would encourage everyone to look at the consultation document and familiarise themselves with the proposals and options.
“As the consultation document itself states, there is evidence that age discrimination can exist in areas such as health and social care, financial services, retail services and accommodation services. Some older people have also been denied access to particular medical treatments or interventions on the basis of age. Clearly this is wrong and it is appropriate that Stormont should act to ensure fairness.
“The consultation documents states that age discrimination legislation will help challenge negative stereotypes, prejudice and ageist behaviours, help reduce social exclusion and send a strong signal that discriminating unjustifiably on grounds of age is unacceptable.
“However, there is no getting away from the fact that there is a major gap in the consultation process and that is the absence of measures to protect children and young people and prohibit unjustifiable age-differentiated practices.
“As I have stated before, this is a particular problem for Sinn Fein who had been very much in favour but rolled over yet again. The Ireland of equals would appear not to apply to those aged under 16.”
An electronic version of the consultation and details on how to respond are available ato http://www.ofmdfmni.gov.uk/age-discrimination-legislation