Head of Equality Authority resigns over budget cuts

The head of the Equality Authority has resigned over of funding cuts at the organisation.

Chief Executive Niall Crowley said the authority had become unviable because of the extensive budget cuts and the planned decentralisation of staff.

The Equality Authority was set up to combat discrimination and promote equal treatment in employment.

In a letter sent to the Chairwoman of the Board, Angela Keirns and the Justice Minister Dermot Ahern, Niall Crowley said his position had become untenable because of the 43 percent budget cut.

He hit out at the Department of Justice saying, the work of the Equality Authority had been fatally compromised by the strategy at the department in the government's budget.

Mr. Crowley also accused the Minister of victimising the authority for carrying out the work it was set up to.

He also claimed that Ireland was in danger of breaching the EU equal treatment directive because it has no specialised independent equality body to combat discrimination.