An investigation into the handling of the High Street Voucher scheme has found that the Department for the Economy failed to comply with specific Equality Scheme commitments.
The investigation followed two complaints from an individual, made under Paragraph 10 of Schedule 9 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
The complaints alleged that the Department had failed to comply with its own Equality Scheme commitments as it did not fully or properly consider the potential equality impacts of excluding those under the age of 18 from the Scheme.
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The High Street Voucher Scheme was announced by then Economy Minister Diane Dodds in April 2021 and delivered by her successor Gordon Lyons.
It provided a £100 pre-paid card to individuals over the age of 18 living in Northern Ireland.
The money could only be spent on bricks and mortar stores stores including retail, hospitality and close contact services.
The investigation found that the Department did not undertake its equality screening at the earliest opportunity in the policy development process.
It also found that the screening form that was presented to the Minister regarding the High Street Voucher scheme included reference to a decision, stated as already made, on the eligibility criteria for age, that the scheme would only apply to those aged 18 and over.
Given the significance of this criteria for the overall scheme, then Economy Minister Diane Dodds MLA, therefore, could not have paid due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity when considering the policy proposal and deciding on this scheme.
Geraldine McGahey, Chief Commissioner, Equality Commission for Northern Ireland said that the investigation in this case identified a number of areas where the Department for the Economy failed to comply with its Equality Scheme commitments in relation to the equality screening of the High Street Scheme.
“The report outlines several recommendations for the Department to action," she said.
"By implementing these recommendations, they will put equality of opportunity and good relations considerations at the centre of their policy making and service delivery processes, as they are required to do to comply with their Equality Scheme.
"We are recommending to the Department that an equality assessment is undertaken at the earliest opportunity during its policy development process.
"Also that they take a clear, consistent approach to this and finalise any screening documentation in a timely manner, before presenting it and all the relevant information to the decision maker for the policy concerned.
“All departmental policy officers should implement the screening practices committed to in the Department’s Equality Scheme and ensure they fully understand the purpose of equality screening.
"We have asked the Department to report back on its progress, in implementing the recommendations, within six months,” she concluded.
The complaint was backed by the Children’s Law Centre, which said it was the first complaint to the Equality Commission by a person under 18.
Policy officer Claire Kemp described it as a “really significant finding”.
“The Children’s Law Centre repeatedly raised concerns at the time that the Department for the Economy had failed to properly comply with its own Equality Scheme,” she said.
“We have now been vindicated in that, but unfortunately around 450,000 children and young people have lost out in the meantime.
“The frustration now is that while the Equality Commission has made this finding, the young people have still lost out.
“The High Street Voucher Scheme was announced in April 2021 and it was clear at that point that the department was intending to exclude under 18s with no basis for doing so. Yet it has taken almost two years to get to this point.
“Children and young people suffered during the pandemic like everyone else.
“Many of them contributed in the recovery and should have benefited from the High Street Voucher Scheme. Not only that, but providing vouchers to children and young people could have made a big difference in a lot of lives by providing essentials for disadvantaged children at a time when people were facing escalating hardship.
“Children and young people are no less deserving than anyone else in our society, yet they are repeatedly failed, forgotten and discriminated against.
“This finding should be a reminder to all government departments that they must take their equality duties seriously.”
A spokesperson for the Department for the Economy said: “The Department received the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland report into the High Street Scheme this morning and is currently reviewing its findings and recommendations before issuing its response.”
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