OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF EQUALITY INVESTIGATIONS
Equal Status Act 2000
EQUALITY OFFICER'S DECISION NOs: DEC-S2002- 125/126
Margaret and Bridget Ward
V
Supermacs, Loughrea
(represented by Maeve Carroll, Solicitor)
File Ref ES/2001/645-646
Date of Issue 29/11/2002
Key words: Equal Status Act 2000 - Direct discrimination, section 3(1)(a) - Membership of the Traveller community, section 3(2)(i) - Supply of goods and services, section 5(1) - Provision of service in a restaurant - Removal of complainant from toilets - Refusal by restaurant to entertain complaint about food purchased
This dispute concerns a complaint by Margaret and Bridget Ward that they were discriminated against, contrary to the Equal Status Act 2000, by the management of Supermacs, Loughrea. The complainants state that one of them was removed from the toilets on 6 May 2001, when they went to Supermacs to purchase food, and that they were later refused a refund in respect of food they had purchased and had to return. They claim that they were treated in this manner because of their membership of the Traveller community. The respondents totally reject that they operate a discriminatory policy against Travellers. They maintain that the complainants were asked to leave the toilets because they were causing a disturbance and never sought a refund for the food purchased.