Equality

Section 75 Statutory Duties 

Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 requires Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to have due regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity:

• between persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital status or sexual orientation
• between men and women generally
• between persons with a disability and persons without
• between persons with dependents and persons without.

We are also required to take account of the desirability of promoting good relations between people of different religious beliefs, political opinions or race.

Our Equality Scheme is in place to integrate equality and diversity into all areas of Council service delivery, decision-making and policy development.

• NMDDC Public Authority Statutory Equality and Good Relations Duties Annual Progress Report 2021-2022
• NMDDC Revised Equality Scheme April 2020
• NMDDC Equality Action Plan 2020-2023
• NMDDC Disability Action Plan 2020-2023
• Five Year Review of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s Equality Scheme March 2020 
• NMDDC Public Authority Statutory Equality and Good Relations Duties Annual Progress Report 2020-2021

Disability Duties

Section 49A of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (as amended by the Disability Discrimination (NI) Order 2006) requires the Council, in carrying out its functions, to have due regard to the need to:

• promote positive attitudes towards disabled people
• encourage participation by disabled people in public life.

We are committed to the fulfilment of our disability duties in all parts of our organisation and our Disability Action Plan sets out how we intend to do this.

If you would like more information regarding equality matters, or if you have any questions or comments regarding our equality scheme, our contact details are below.

Rural Needs 

The Rural Needs Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 requires the Council to have due regard to rural needs when:

• developing, adopting, implementing or revising policies, strategies and plans
• designing and delivering public services.

We are committed to undertaking rural needs impact assessments, monitoring activity and providing an annual report to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).

• NMDDC Rural Needs Annual Monitoring Report for period 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020
• NMDDC Rural Needs Annual Monitoring Report for period 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021
• NMDDC Rural Needs Annual Monitoring Report for period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023

Equality Screening 2022-23

• Quarterly Screening Report January – March 2023
• Equality Screening Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s draft Performance Improvement Objectives
• Equality Screening Proposal to increase the number of car parks with tariffs and/or time restriction
• Equality Screening Review of car parking tariffs
• Equality Screening Menopause within the workplace
• Quarterly Screening Report October – December 2022
• Equality Screening Draft Disability Action Plan 2023-2027
• Equality Screening Draft Equality Action Plan 2023-2027
• Equality Screening Draft Irish Language Strategy 2023-2027
• Equality Screening Performance Improvement Policy
• Equality Screening Request to Add ‘Unisex’ Symbol Signage to Single Access Toilets
• Equality Screening Provision of Newry Tennis Bubble – Updated Equality Screening
• Quarterly Screening Report July - September 2022
• Equality Screening Establishment of a New Ireland Working Group
• Equality Screening Provision of Newry Tennis Bubble 
• Quarterly Screening Report April – June 2022
• Equality Screening Agile Working Policy
• Equality Screening Bulky Collection Service
• Equality Screening Complaints, Comment and Compliment Policy
• Equality Screening Conflict of Interest Policy and Associated Conflict of Interest Procedures
• Equality Screening Decision calling for legal action by Council to compel compliance by Stormont with the Northern Ireland Protocol
• Equality Screening draft Customer Charter and Customer Standards
• Equality Screening Fleet Renewal Policy
• Equality Screening Fleet Telemetry System Policy
• Equality Screening Guidelines and associated procedure in relation to the acceptance of gifts to Council
• Equality Screening Ill Health Retirement Policy
• Equality Screening Interim Policy – Issue / Collection of Wheeled Bins
• Equality Screening Newry City Centre Regeneration Project
• Equality Screening Non-Standard Pay Provisions
• Equality Screening Performance Improvement Plan 2022-23
• Equality Screening Policy and associated procedure in relation to the Erection of Commercial / Advertising Signage on Council Land and Property by Third Parties
• Equality Screening Newry and Mourne Museum Collections Development Policy 2022-2025
• Equality Screening NMD Museums Loans Policy and Procedures
• Equality Screening Smoke Free Policy
• Equality Screening Special Leave Provisions Policy

Equality Screening 2021-22

• Quarterly Screening Report January – March 2022 click here
• Equality Screening Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s draft Performance Improvement Objectives 2022-23 click here
• Equality Screening Notice of Motion - Contactless Payment Solutions to tackle Homelessness click here
• Equality Screening NMDDC Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Financial Assistance Programme click here
• Equality Screening Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Non-Current Asset Procedure click here
• Equality Screening Media Policy click here
• Equality Screening Policy for Dealing with Changed Circumstances Affecting Licensed Street Trading click here
• Equality Screening Pavement Cafes Designation Policy click here
• Equality Screening Pavement Cafes Enforcement Policy click here
• Equality Screening Protocol for Hearing of Statutory Referrals to Committee click here
• Equality Screening Risk Management Policy click here
• Equality Screening Street Trading Designation Policy click here
• Equality Screening Street Trading Enforcement Policy click here
• Equality Screening Street Trading Mobile Licence policy click here
• Equality Screening Street Trading Stall Design and Trading Policy click here
• Equality Screening Street Trading Stationary Licence Policy click here
• Equality Screening Street Trading Temporary Licence Policy click here
• Equality Screening Temporary Road Closures on a Public Road for the purpose of holding a Special Event Policy click here
• Quarterly Screening Report October – December 2021 click here
• Equality Screening Warrenpoint Front Shore Public Realm Scheme click here
• Quarterly Screening Report April - June 2021 click here
• Quarterly Screening Report July – September 2021 click here
• Equality Screening Draft Active Travel Masterplan click here
• Equality Screening Mournes Gateway Study click here
• Equality Screening Proposed Children Memorial Gardens Landscape Scheme click here
• Equality Screening draft Policy on Management of Bonfires click here
• Equality Screening Vehicle Fuel Management click here

Equality Screening 2020-21

• Quarterly Screening Report April - June 2020 click here
• Quarterly Screening Report July - September 2020 click here
• Quarterly Screening Report October – December 2020 click here 
• Quarterly Screening Report January – March 2021 click here 
• Equality Screening Bus Shelter Policy click here 
• Equality Screening Career Break Scheme click here 
• Equality Screening Complaints, Comment and Compliment Policy click here 
• Equality Screening draft Health & Safety Policy click here 
• Equality Screening draft Performance Improvement Objectives 2021-22 click here 
• Equality Screening Leisure and Sports Service Pricing Schedule and guidance notes click here 
• Equality Screening NI Centenary Funding Programme click here
• Equality Screening Professional Fees for Officers click here 
• Equality Screening Volunteer Policy click here 
• Equality Screening Sustainability Policy click here 
• Equality Screening Corporate Social Media Policy click here 
• Equality Screening Replacement of Trojan Horse and upgrade of adjacent play park, Oriel Drive, Downpatrick click here 
• Equality Screening Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence Policy click here
• Equality Screening Regeneration and Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan 2020-2025 click here
• Equality Screening Castlewellan Forest Park Project click here
• Equality Screening HR – Planned Leave Policy click here
• Equality Screening Policy on Naming Council Facilities click here
• Equality Screening Policy on new artworks and/or sculptures on Council property click here
• Equality Screening Policy on requests to plant a tree on Council property click here click here 
• Equality Screening re Notice of Motion – 100th Anniversary of the Creation of Northern Ireland click here
• Equality Screening Re-opening of Indoor Leisure Facilities: Re-introduction of Charging Structures click here

Equality Screening 2019-20

• Quarterly Screening Report October - December 2019 click here
• Equality Screening NMDDC draft Conditions of Hire for Use of Council Facilities click here 
• Equality Screening NMDDC Single Use Plastics Policy click here 
• Equality Screening NMDDC Leisure Service Household membership bolt on scheme click here 
• Equality Screening NMDDC Rules and regulations for the control of the public cemeteries within the Newry, Mourne and Down District click here 
• Equality Screening NMDDC Records Management Policy & Procedure click here 
• Equality Screening NMDDC Policy & Procedure for the Personal Safety of employees exposed to workplace violence and abuse from the public click here 
• Equality Screening NMDDC International Relations Strategy click here 
• Equality Screening NMDDC draft Equality Action Plan 2020-2023 click here 
• Equality Screening NMDDC draft Irish Language Strategy 2020-2023 click here 
• Qaurterly Screening Report January-March 2020 click here
• Equality Screening NMDDC Public Toilet Strategy click here
• Equality Screening NMDDC Non-Current Asset Policy and Procedures click here
• Equality Screening NMDDC Portable Safety Appliance Policy click here
• Equality Screening NMDDC Legionella Management Policy click here
• Equality Screening NMDDC Fire Safety Management Policy click here
• Quarterly Screening Report April - June 2019 click here 
• Quarterly Screening Report July - September 2019 click here 
• Equality Screening Arts Culture Strategy 2019 click here 
• Equality Screening Financial Assistance Policy 2019 click here 
• Equality Screening NMDDC Access to Information (ati) Policy and Procedure 2019 click here
• Equality Screening of NMDDC Performance Improvement Plan 2019-20 click here 
• Equality Screening Review of Operations at Household Recycling Centres 2019 click here 
• Equality Screening sports facility strategy 2019 click here 
• Equality Screening Newry Lower Hill Street Public Realm Scheme February 2019 click here 
• Equality Screening Litter Bin Policy click here 

Contact Us

Head of Corporate Policy
Oifig an Iúir
Newry Office
O’Hagan House
Monaghan Row 
Newry BT35 8DJ 

Telephone: 0330 137 4388
Email: colin.moffett@nmandd.org

Corporate Policy and Equality Officer
Oifig an Iúir
Newry Office
O’Hagan House
Monaghan Row 
Newry BT35 8DJ 

Telephone: 0330 137 4887
Email: suzanne.rice@nmandd.org