The Chairperson of the Equality Authority says that the Authority has been the victim of a campaign of targeted misinformation.

In the forward to the Annual Report launched yesterday she says

that a campaign of misinformation commenced while the Authority was working to reorganise to ensure no diminution of service to the public. This campaign purported to show that the Authority was either no longer in operation or that it was no longer operating effectively.

Wonder if you asked the staff or stakeholders (and not just the favourites) or people who are discriminated against what they thought about what would they say about the ability of the Authority to support people is following the cuts?

In light of this, over the course of the year the Authority was extremely concerned that any vulnerable individual who needed support might have been led to the erroneous belief that the Equality Authority was no longer in a position to assist them. The Authority worked with stakeholders to try to minimise the numbers of vulnerable people who may, because of this misinformation, be affected by this.

The budget of the authority was cut by 43% – this was widely reported but the Annual Report does not report the accounts of the authority for 2009 or compare to previous years. The report shows the impact of the cuts in the very small numbers of information stands that were held, and the types of organisations that were consulted with. The notion of what constituted a case is also something that caused much confusion and the authority are still sorting it out. I encourage you to read the report.

On page 63

The Equality Authority had one meeting with the Community and Voluntary Sector. It is anticipated that these meetings will be re-instated in 2010.

Blaming those campaigning (including 140 NGO’s, and a few Statutory international bodies ) for properly funded, independent, mandated institutions for creating an impression that the body can’t function when well we all know that it’s hands are tied and it can’t properly educate people on it’s work and promote itself effectively and it is very limited in it’s research agenda. Me thinks that doth protesting too much going on if you know what I mean.

PS: There is a great campaign giving an opportunity to everyone to state their opinion on the importance of policy on equality and human rights and their importance at It’s About You.

Meanwhile I’m holding onto the table to stop the dizziness.