ALMOST ONE-THIRD of ethnic minorities report experiencing discrimination in areas such as job-hunting, accessing financial services or finding accommodation, new research shows.
The report by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and the Equality Authority shows that just more than 12 per cent of Irish adults feel they have been discriminated against in the preceding two years.
These rates are highest among ethnic minorities (31 per cent), the unemployed (29 per cent), non-Irish nationals (24 per cent), lone parents (23 per cent) and people with disabilities (20 per cent).
The areas in which people are most likely to feel they have been discriminated against are recruitment, housing and accessing financial services.
However, the social groups most likely to experience discrimination are among those least likely to take action.
Overall, men and women are equally likely to record discrimination but their experiences are concentrated in different areas.
Women are more likely to report discrimination in the workplace and in accessing health services as a result of their marital status or gender.
Men are more likely to feel they have been discriminated against when looking for work as a result of their age or ethnicity.
Dr Helen Russell of the ESRI said it was striking that some groups experience discrimination across a wide range of settings.
"For example, people with disabilities report higher levels of discrimination in all but one of the service settings investigated and in both of the work-related contexts," she said.
"For other groups, discrimination is more context-specific. For example, young people feel particularly discriminated against in shops, pubs or restaurants and accessing financial services."
The results are based on new analysis of the Central Statistics Office's quarterly national household survey, where adults were asked about their experience of discrimination.
Niall Crowley, chief executive of the Equality Authority, said the result showed the scale of discrimination reported among the population and the challenge facing the State in addressing it.
He also said there may be a need to review and broaden the grounds covered by the equality legislation by including a socio-economic status ground: "The unemployed are not covered by the equality legislation but they emerge from this report as particularly vulnerable to discrimination."
Mr Crowley said the study showed one-quarter of those who experience discrimination say it had a serious impact on their lives, while just 6 per cent made an official complaint.
Overall, most discrimination is reported to occur while looking for work and in the workplace. The lowest rates of alleged discrimination were recorded for transport services, education and "other public services".
Other figures contained in the report show how different sections of society report experiencing discrimination in different settings.
When trying to find housing, for example, 4 per cent of respondents felt discriminated against. Those with the highest risk were minority ethnic groups, the unemployed, people with disabilities and lone parents.
In dealing with financial institutions, however, those at highest risk were young people, men and those of black ethnicity.
The profile was different again in shops, restaurants and pubs. Here, young people, minority ethnic groups, non-Irish nationals and people with disabilities reported high discrimination.
Breakdown: groups making reports
Proportion of groups who report experiencing discrimination over the past two years:
ETHNICITY
Black: 40 per cent
Other ethnic group: 31 per cent
Asian: 25 per cent
White: 12 per cent
AGE
18-24: 18 per cent
25-44: 14 per cent
45-64: 10 per cent
65-plus: 6 per cent
EMPLOYMENT STATUS:
Unemployed: 29 per cent
Inactive: 12 per cent
Employed: 12 per cent
CHILDREN
Lone parent: 23 per cent
No children: 11 per cent
Couple with children: 14 per cent
NATIONALITY
Irish: 11 per cent
Non-Irish: 24 per cent
DISABILITY
No disability: 12 per cent
Disability: 20 per cent
Source: The Experience of Discrimination in Ireland, ESRI and Equality Authority
