Material relating to the EEA [Employment Equality Agency] including correspondence, submissions, memorandums, and statements by the agency along with photocopies of correspondence between EEA and others relating to various cases being taken before the Labour Court. It includes letter of thanks from Gregory F O'Neill, solicitor, to Mary Robinson (MR), in relation to equality claim which MR referred Sylvia Meehan [chairperson, EEA] to him for, 13/06/1980; correspondence from Helena Gleeson, EEA, to MR in relation to meeting between chairperson of EEA, and heads of Equal Opportunities Commissions Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 25/03/1981; photocopies of correspondence between Meehan and WJ Fitzpatrick, General Secretary, Irish Union for the Distributive Workers and Clerks in relation to Labour Court's determinations in favour of the Equal Pay Claims lodged by the union members against their employer PMPA 04-17/08/1981; photocopies of correspondence relating to alleged discrimination by the Western Health Board of members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association, and involving the Irish Transport and General Workers Union (ITGWU), 31/03/1983-19/04/1983; Labour Court Anti-Discrimination (Pay) Act, 1974 Equality Officer's Recommendation in case involving Arthur Guinness Son & Co. (Dublin) Ltd and Ms Rita Murtagh (Represented by the Federated Workers' Union of Ireland, 10/06/1983; correspondence between Meehan and ITGWU relating to case of Mrs O'Brien which Meehan had advised her was best dealt with by the union, 17/05/1984 (includes copy of outline of case for Counsel's Opinion); letter from Meehan to Ruairi Quinn, TD [Teachta Dála, member of Dáil Éireann, lower house of Irish parliament], Minister for Labour regarding EEA's views on the jurisdiction of Labour Court in Appeals from Recommendations issued by Equality Officers, 07/06/1984; copy of statement on subject of Draft Directive on Part-Time Work, published by EEA, 07/06/1984, along with cover letter from Paul Cullen, Chief Officer EEA, and carbon copy of reply from MR, 08-11/06/1984; memorandum commissioned by EEA on range of EEC [European Economic Community] instruments relating to the reduction and reorganising of working time, with cover letter from Paul Cullen to MR, 19/06/1984; copy of Labour Court determination in case of Appeal by Northern Health Board against Equality Officer's recommendation, 13/06/1985; EEA press statement, with notation, on "Proposals of Minister for Public Service to the Government regarding Arrangements for Promotion to Top Jobs in Civil Service", 19[85?]; outline of case of Collette and Liam Nolan and letter from Meehan to MR asking if a case could be taken by EEA to Labour Court on the Nolans' behalf, 06/1985; Equality Officer's Recommendation in case of Revenue Commissioners and Seamus O'Sullivan, with compliment slip from Meehan to MR, 26/07/1985; copy of letter from B O'Riordan, Department of Labour, to Meehan, in relation to the review of the equality legislation, and EEA's recommendation that the Employment Equality Act, 1977 be extended to cover areas of education and provision of goods, facilities and services, 27/08/1985; EEA postcard from Meehan to MR "Eve Equals Adam...except when there's a snake in the grass", 05/09/1988; handwritten letter from Meehan to MR discussing Medeering Ltd case [report on suspected failure by them to provide Equal Pay for group of female employees can be found in P143/1/3/2/2/4], 198[3?]; photocopy of newspaper article "Prove Equal Pay: EC" and compliment slip from Meehan to MR asking if she knew anything about case referenced, 18/10/1989.
Material in this file consists of EEA [Employment Equality Agency] publications and reports, along with press releases and addresses which took place during report launches. It includes report "Monitoring the Labour Market Progress of Women in Ireland: Statistics Needed for Employment Equality", by Steven H Sandell, 12/1980; press release relating to launch of the 1980 Annual Report of the EEA, 12/1981; address by Sylvia Meehan, Chairperson of EEA and statement by Senator Mary Robinson (MR), Labour Party Spokesperson, at launch of EEA's annual report, 05/12/1982; report "Schooling and Sex roles", with cover letter to MR from Paul Cullen, Chief Officer, EEA, 06/07/1983; report "A formal Investigation under section 39 of the Employment Equality Act, 1977, in regard to the suspected failure of Medeering Ltd. to provide Equal Pay for a group of female employees", 198[?]; report "the role of the Labour court in Enforcement Procedures under Equality Legislation - Recommendations for Change", 06/1984; report "Transitions to Equal Opportunity at work: Problems and Possibilities", by Dr Eunice McCarthy, 12/1986; press release re launch of "Irish National report on Childcare and Equality of Opportunity", 14/09/1988; EEA newsletters "Equality News", 11/1986, 09/1987, 12/1987, 04/1988, 08/1987, 12/1988.
Material relating to AIM [Action Information Motivation] Group for Family Law Reform including AIM report on the Civil Legal Aid scheme, with cover note to Mary Robinson (MR) from Mary O'Neill (MO’N) [PRO/Administrator], 09/01/1984; correspondence between MO'N and MR relating to criticisms of the Law Reform Commission and MO'N inviting MR to be considered for membership of same, which MR had to decline as being member of Oireachtas (houses of Irish parliament) disqualified her from appointment, 17/12/1984-15/01/1985; letter of thanks to MR from Trisha McKay, Administrator AIM Group, for her assistance promoting AIM Groups new leaflet on Judicial Separation, 31/10/1989 and summary of address by MR at launch of AIM Group pamphlet on Judicial Separation, 18/11/1989; samples of AIM Group leaflets including "How Can I get Maintenance?", "Family Violence", "Legal Separation Agreements", "The Law & Church Annulments", "The Family Home", "children and Family Law", 198[5?]-1989.
This file consists of correspondence to Mary Robinson from members of the public outlining issues they had with discrimination.
Courts Act, 1982 (Private Members Bill)
Material in this file relates to the Courts Act, 1982 (Private Members Bill) which sought to introduce an Act to amend the Courts Bill, 1981, by postponing for a further 12 months the coming into operation of certain sections of that Bill which proposed to transfer jurisdiction in important areas of family law from the High Court to the District and Circuit Courts. It was drafted by Mary Robinson (MR) and introduced by Labour Leader Dick Spring in order to give time for the District and Circuit Courts to become better equipped to handle these cases as well as the opportunity to consider whether this was best course of action. The Government was also being called on to allocate time in the Dáil for discussion of the bill.
The file includes photocopy of Courts (Amendment) Bill, 1982 Arrangement in Sections; photocopy of circular from MR on the need for urgent consideration of the Bill before 12th May 1982, with copy of Courts Bill 1982 which she drafted, 30/04/1982; press release from Cherish [Irish Association of Single Parents] and circular from its chairperson, Mary Liddy, to members of the Dáil Éireann [lower house of Irish parliament], expressing concern that the decision to transfer jurisdiction would give rise to difficulties in the area of family law, calling on the government to allow time for the deferment to be discussed and expressing hope that a deferment would reopen the possibility of establishing family courts with proper facilities, 01/05/1982; letter on behalf of Brendan Allen, President, The Incorporated Law Society of Ireland, to MR, regretting that he could not support her amendment either privately or publicly, 04/05/1982; correspondence from Clara Clarke, Organising Secretary, Council for the Status of Women, including their press release calling on the Government to allocate time for discussion on Courts Bill 1982, 04/05/1982 and replies from various TDs [Teachta Dála, member of Dáil Éireann] to MR who had sent the press release to them, 04-11/05/1982; letter from AIM [Action Information Motivation] Group to the Letters Editor [National press?], relating to their concern that women seeking Protection or Barring orders were being turned away due to family law-related summonses not being served in many District and Circuit Courts, 19/05/1982; letter from Kathleen Chandler for Mary Liddy, listing TDs who had responded to press release being sent to them, 25/05/1982; cuttings 05-20/05/1982.
In 1973 a group of feminists, chaired by Hilda Tweedy of the Irish Housewives Association, set up the Council for the Status of Women (CSW), with the goal of gaining equality for women. It was an umbrella body for women's groups. During the 1990s the council's activities included supporting projects funded by the European Social Fund and running Women and Leadership Programmes and forums. In 1995, following a strategic review, it changed its name to the National Women's Council of Ireland.
This file consists of correspondence between Mary Robinson (MR) and the CSW, agendas, reports and a newsletter. It includes a copy of the "Women and the Law" report sent by Ita Gannon, Governor, Women and the Law, 19/11/1980; correspondence from Margaret Walsh, Chairwoman, CSW, 31/01/1984 relating to a report "Who Cares about the Carers?" which was not included; correspondence between MR and Caroline McCamley, Chairwoman CSW, seeking advice on financial and other matters 08/10/1986-07/09/1987; correspondence relating to a request from Lady Carew for the CSW to look at taking a test case, and MR's recommendation they not become involved in family case being heard in courts 04/09/1986-26/03/1987 (no case details included); agenda for CSW Council meeting, 06/06/1987; letter from Daphne Passmore, Chairwoman, Health Committee, CSW, re launch of report on proceedings of Women's health conference held earlier in 1987, 12/09/1987; booklet "Regional Women - the forgotten Women", proceedings of the CSW's conference, Limerick, 12/1986; CSW Annual Report, 1986; newsletter Autumn/Winter 1988.
Typed copies and drafts of keynote speeches and contributions by Senator Mary Robinson (MR), 1973-1987, at various conferences and events which related to women, equality, and the law. They include "Equality for Women", contribution on discussion paper of ITGWU [Irish Trade and General Workers' Union] at annual delegate conference, 29/05/1980; summary of contribution by MR "the Contribution of Women Graduates to society", at meeting of Dublin University Women Graduates, Trinity College Dublin, 04/11/1980; summary of contribution by MR "Young Women and Employment", European Youth Forum, 03/12/1980; statement on annual report of Employment Equality Agency, 05/01/1982; summary of contribution by MR "Women in Europe - the Socialist Approach", Mansion House, Dublin, 23/03/1984 and public meeting in support of Michael D Higgins, Atlanta Hotel, Galway, 09/06/1984; 10th Countess Markievicz Memorial Lecture, "Women, Work and Equality", 198[5?]; summary of speech "Labour Women in Dublin", given by MR at Labour press conference, 09/06/1985; summary of contribution by MR, "Women and Parliament", Merriman Summer School, 24/08/1985; summary and drafts of keynote speech by MR, "Women and the Law in Ireland" at seminar organised by UCD Women's Studies forum, 02/05/1986, another version of same speech given at Women's Worlds Conference, 01/07/1987 and correspondence between MR and Ailbhe Smyth, WERRC [Women's Education Research Resource Centre], University College Dublin in relation to a copy of speech being published in a Reader of Irish Women's Studies, 30/12/1992-11/01/1993; typed document "Women and 1992" and outline of lecture by MR "Equal Pay and Equal treatment - Analysis of Recent case Law of ECJ [European Court of Justice] and National Courts, 19[8?].
Material relating to the Youth Forum of the European Communities event "Hearing on Employment of Young Women", Brussels, 02-04/12/1980, at which Mary Robinson (MR) agreed to participate, including circular relating to preparations ahead of the hearing, 19-22/09/1980; correspondence from Gilbert Véron, Secretary General of the Youth Forum to MR re arrangements 13/11/1980; programme for the event in English and photocopy of bilingual programme in French and English; conclusions (report) of the event; booklet about the Youth Forum, 08/1979; European Communities European Parliament Working Documents (1979-1980) report drawn up on behalf of the Committee on Social Affairs, employment and Education on the activities of the European Youth Forum, 07/05/1979; Youth Forum General Assembly 22-24/11/1979, report of activities 1979; research material relating to AnCo [An Comhairle Oiliúna (the Industrial Training Authority)]'s training programmes and schemes for girls and women, 11/1980; proceedings of 5th annual conference of Sociological Association of Ireland article on "The Economic Dependence of Women in Ireland", Joy Rudd, 7-9/04/1979.
Paper "Education for Domestication or Development", Eileen Drew, Systems Development Programme, Trinity College, Dublin from conference on "Women in the Developing World", 28/04/1984, sent by Eileen to Mary Robinson (MR) with cover slip; work-in-progress paper "Joint Labour Committees and Equal Pay: a case for the European Court of Justice?", Padraic Doyle, November 1984, with cover letter from Ferdinand von Prondzynski, University of Dublin [Trinity College Dublin, TCD], about a seminar on same subject led by Doyle (research student), taking place at TCD, 14/11/1984; 1987 report "In the Law of the Father: report of a Seminar on Woman and the Law", UCD [University College Dublin] Women's Studies Forum, 1987, and cover letter from Ailbhe Smyth, Department of French, UCD requesting copy of MR's keynote speech at Women's World Congress, with reply from MR, 11-27/08/1987; flyer from Family Lawyers Association giving notice of seminar "Judicial Separation and Family Law reform Act. 1989" taking place 12/07/1989.
Flyers, press releases and research material including statement from Women's Aid expressing horror that Judge Barrington had suspended the sentence of man charged with murder of a 61 year old woman, for one year and his remarks that had the defendant not being drinking the crime would not have happened, 06/05/1982; various flyers issued by Minister of State for Women's Affairs 198[5?]; press statement by President of ICTU [Irish Congress of Trade Unions], Jim McCusker at launch of new Charter of Rights for Women, with copy of charter, 30/08/1985; copy of schedule of court sittings, 03/198[?]; various article on family law including from The Incorporated Law Society of Ireland and photocopies of law journals, 1984; Attic Press catalogue 1988 [wholly Irish owned and controlled women's publishing house]; circular from Committee on the Administration of Justice, the Northern Ireland Civil Liberties Council, 15/02/1989, attached to Briefing Paper on the Fair Employment (Northern Ireland) Bill, 02/1979, summary from British Embassy, Dublin, 25/05/1988 and White Paper on Fair Employment in Northern Ireland, presented to (UK) Parliament by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, 05/1988.