Travellers raise concerns at quality case plans

THE Irish Traveller Movement has raised concerns about signals from the Government that it is considering change to the way equality cases involving publicans are handled.

Junior Justice Minister Willie O'Dea yesterday said he favoured letting the District Courts deal with these disputes His comments follow a report by the Commission on Liquor Licensing in December which suggested this course, or else setting up a system along the lines of the Employment Appeals Tribunal.

Mr O'Dea said the District Court system already had a major responsibility for liquor licenses and there was a logic to giving them the role. He said publicans had lost faith in the fairness of the Equality Tribunal system and were loath to appeal cases to the Circuit Court because it was costly in proportion to awards made against them and generated adverse publicity.