Analysing the Experience of Discrimination in Ireland: Evidence from the QNHS Equality Module 2010

Abstract

In 2010, 12% of adults in Ireland said that they were discriminated against in the preceding two years, according to a new report published today (Friday 14 December) by the ESRI and the Equality Authority.

The highest rates of reported discrimination were in recruitment (6%) and in the workplace (5%). In services, discrimination was highest for accessing housing (3%) and using financial services such as banks and insurance services (2.5%). The lowest rates were for education (just over 1%), 'other public services' (just over 1%) and transport services (0.4%).

People of Black ethnicity are almost four times more likely to report experience of discrimination than White Irish people and over five times more likely than White Irish to report serious discrimination, even after controlling for a range of other factors. They report higher rates of discrimination both in work and in many service settings.

The results are based on new analysis of the CSO's Quarterly National Household Survey: Equality Module 2010, which asked adults in Ireland about their experience of discrimination in a range of different situations. These data were collected after the labour market entered deep recession and in the report they are compared with data from an earlier Equality Module conducted in 2004 during the economic boom. Since 2004 there has been a fall in service-related discrimination, from around 9% to 7%, though there has been stability in work-related discrimination, at around 7-8%.