The Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty (The Public Sector Duty) 

Find out how we promote equality, prevent discrimination and protect human rights in all our work.

The Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty (‘the Duty’) is set out in Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014 (Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014). This involves two separate but interconnected Duties set out in Section 42(1) and Section 42(2).

Under Section 42(1) of the Duty, public bodies must have regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, promote equality of opportunity, and protect human rights, for employees, service users, members and policy beneficiaries, across all their function areas. This overarching Duty is to be undertaken as an ongoing requirement on public bodies.

Under Section 42(2) of the Duty, public bodes must undertake three steps in giving effect to this Duty:

• Assess Step:  Undertake an assessment of the equality and human rights issues facing the identified groups for the Duty, with a focus on those issues that have relevance to the specific functions and purpose of that public body, and to make that assessment publicly available through the Tipperary County Council Corporate Plan.
• Address Step: Identify and communicate, through the Tipperary County Council Corporate Plan, the plans, policies and actions being taken or proposed, to address the equality and human rights issues identified in the assessment.
• Report Step: Report annually on developments and achievements in implementing the Duty.

This strategic duty is to be undertaken by public bodies as part of their strategic, planning and reporting cycle i.e. Corporate Plan Process.

The groups identified for the Duty are those:

• covered by the grounds of gender (including gender expression, gender identity and sex characteristics), civil status, family status (including lone parents and carers), age, disability (broadly defined to include all impairment groups), sexual orientation, race, religion, membership of the Traveller community, and socio-economic status (at risk of or experiencing poverty and exclusion);
• at the intersections of these grounds; and
• rights holders under relevant human rights instruments.

In implementing the Duty, Tipperary County Council is committed to addressing the equality and human rights issues relevant to all its functions, and integrating equality and human rights into the core of our operations.

Tipperary County Council functions are:

• People management
• Service provision
• Corporate activities, including procurement and funding
• Planning and regulation
• Local development
• Policy and research

Tipperary County Council is committed to implementing the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty by embedding equality and human rights at the heart of our organisational culture and operations. Our ambition in implementing the Duty is framed by the Tipperary County Council Equality and Human Rights Values Statement (insert link to the TCC PSD Values Statement), which sets out the guiding principles that guide our work and define our ambition for the period 2025–2029. Our approach is framed by four interconnected values:

1. Respect – Promoting dignity, fairness, and trust in all interactions, ensuring rights are protected and upheld.
2. Inclusivity – Valuing diversity and creating accessible services and workplaces that accommodate all needs.
3. Voice – Empowering participation and ensuring that policies and decisions reflect the perspectives of all identified groups.
4. Social Sustainability – Building resilient communities by addressing disadvantage and enabling equal access to resources and opportunities.

Each value includes clear outcome and process benchmarks, guiding how we deliver services, engage with communities, and shape policy.

The Council will apply these values by:

• Using them as a framework for assessing equality and human rights issues.
• Aligning plans, strategies, and policies with these benchmarks.
• Embedding these principles through leadership, staff training, communications, and community engagement.

This statement reflects our ongoing commitment to equality, human rights, and social inclusion, ensuring that Tipperary County Council serves as a model of fairness and integrity for all.

The Corporate Services Department holds responsibility for the ongoing implementation of the Duty across Tipperary County Council. Based on the implementation plan for the Duty, it supports and monitors Departments to implement the Address Step of the Duty in relation to:

• the development or review of policies, plans, strategies and programmes identified, in their Annual Service Delivery Plan, to be subject to an equality and human rights impact assessment, in compliance with Section 42(1) and
• the identification of targeted plans, policies or action in place or proposed to address the equality and human rights issues, in compliance with Section 42(2).

In giving effect to this Duty:

Assess Step:

Tipperary County Council has undertaken an assessment of equality and human rights issues in compliance with Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014, and in alignment with guidance issued by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. 

The Tipperary County Council Assessment & Evidence Book Insert link to the Tipperary County Council PSD Assessment & Evidence Book 2025- provides a comprehensive, evidence-based analysis of equality and human rights issues relevant to its statutory duty under Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014. 

Using the four core values—Respect, Inclusivity, Voice, and Social Sustainability—the assessment identifies systemic barriers and discrimination affecting groups protected under equality legislation and those at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Key issues include workplace and service-access discrimination, lack of reasonable accommodation, underrepresentation in decision-making, housing insecurity, poverty, digital exclusion, and cultural insensitivity. Drawing on national and international research, local strategies, and civil society input, the document establishes a framework for addressing these challenges through policy, service design, and organisational culture, aiming to eliminate racism, sexism, ableism, and other forms of inequality while promoting participation, dignity, and equitable resource distribution.

Address Step:

Tipperary County Council has developed an implementation plan as a framework to give ongoing effect to both Section 42(1) and Section 42(2) of the Duty over the period of its Corporate Plan 2025-2029, Insert link to TCC Corporate Plan, which incorporates implementation plans prepared across the Departments of Tipperary County Council. 

The Tipperary County Council Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty Implementation Plan (2025–2029) Insert link to Tipperary County Council Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty Implementation Plan outlines a structured approach to embedding equality and human rights across all Council functions in compliance with Section 42 of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission Act 2014. 

It sets out the Council’s commitment through four core values—Respect, Inclusivity, Voice, and Social Sustainability—and details processes for assessing equality and human rights issues, enabling implementation through leadership, communication, capacity building, and documentation. The plan integrates equality and human rights impact assessments into policy development and review, identifies strategic actions such as age-friendly, housing, and integration strategies, and establishes annual reporting mechanisms. Its overarching goal is to eliminate discrimination, promote equality of opportunity, and protect human rights for all identified groups, ensuring these principles are central to organisational culture, planning, and service delivery.

Annually, each department, based on their Annual Service Delivery Plan, will identify:

1. those plans, policies, strategies and programmes to be developed or reviewed and to be subject to an equality and human rights impact assessment that year (in compliance with Section 42(1)); and
2. the plans, policies and actions in place or proposed to directly address equality and human rights issues (in compliance with Section 42 (2)).

Each department is responsible for implementing this Address Step and reporting on progress made on the relevant equality and human rights issues. 

The Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty commitments from each of the Departmental Annual Service Delivery Plans are combined in a single Tipperary County Council Duty Action Plan which is available here:

(Insert link to the Tipperary County Council 2025 Action Plan for the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty)

The Tipperary County Council Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty Action Plan 2025–2026 operationalises the Council’s implementation plan by detailing actions under the overarching and strategic duties. It commits to conducting equality and human rights impact assessments on key initiatives such as the Customer Service Action Plan, Communication Strategy, Migrant Integration Strategy, and policy reviews. Strategic priorities include continuing programs for migrant integration, Traveller accommodation, disability housing, age-friendly initiatives, and workplace dignity. Enabling actions focus on leadership through a dedicated working group and staff resource, capacity building via targeted training, and communication measures to embed equality and human rights values visibly across the organisation. Documentation of progress ensures accountability and compliance throughout the year.

Report Step:

As part of the Annual Service Delivery Plan reporting process, each department will report on progress made in addressing the equality and human rights issues identified as relevant to their functions.

Tipperary County Council will also report annually on developments and achievements in implementing the Duty within Tipperary County Council’s Annual Report.

In particular, the report will address: new outcomes for the identified groups for the Duty; new developments and improvements in the delivery of departmental functions; and developments and improvements in departmental processes to embed a focus on equality and human rights.

In 2023, the Council, in collaboration with the HSE, produced the “Tipperary County Council: Implementing the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty in Relation to Roma and Accommodation Provision” Implementation Plan 2023.

https://www.tipperarycoco.ie/governance-and-administration/corporate-plan-consultation