Complaints Handling Procedure – Equal Status Act 2000-2015

The Equal Status Acts 2000-2015 prohibits discrimination in the provision of goods and services, the provision of accommodation and access to education, on any of the nine grounds set out below.

The grounds on which discrimination is outlawed by the Equal Status Acts are as follows:

• The 'gender ground'
• The 'civil status ground' (formerly marital status)
• The 'family status ground'
• The 'sexual orientation ground'
• The 'religion ground'
• The 'age ground'
• The 'disability ground'
• The 'ground of race' (includes race, colour, nationality or ethnic or national origins)
• The 'Traveller community' ground
• The 'housing assistance' ground (only in the provision of accommodation)

Complaints under the Equal Status Act are investigated by the Workplace Relations Commission.

The Equal Status Act states that before you make a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) about a perceived discrimination or unlawful treatment by a service provider, you must first send a notification in writing to the service provider.

How to make a complaint under the Equal Status Act

1. The WRC provide template notification forms that you may use to notify us of your complaint under the Equal Status Act. You don’t have to use this form, but please ensure you provide the information requested in the form.
2. The notification must be received by us within 2 months of the event
3. A complaint should be made in writing by e-mail or by post to:

   The Access Officer
   Complaint under the Equal Status Act
   Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman
   Lincoln House
   Lincoln Place
   Dublin 2
   D02 VH29
   Email: access@fspo.ie

   If you require assistance in making a complaint, the FSPO's Access Officer may be contacted by telephone at 01 567 7000 or by email at access@fspo.ie.
4. The Access Officer will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and the FSPO commence a review to establish if the complaint relates to an alleged failure by the FSPO to comply with the Equal Status Acts 2000-2015.
5. The Access Officer will provide a substantive response within 1 month.

Can the outcome of the investigation be appealed?

Yes. The outcome may be appealed to the WRC. You must make your complaint to the WRC within 6 months of the event occurring.

At the conclusion of the investigation, the complainant will be advised of their right to appeal:

Workplace Relations Commission,
Inspection and Enforcement Service,
O'Brien Road,
Carlow, R93 E920.
Website: https://www.workplacerelations.ie/
Tel: +353 59 917 8800
Lo Call (Republic of Ireland only): 0818 80 80 90