Under Irish law, the protected grounds are:
Gender (male, female, transgender or nonbinary)
If someone treats you less favourably because you are a different gender to someone else.
Civil status (single, married, separated, divorced, widowed or in a civil partnership)
If someone treats you less favourably because you have a different civil status to someone else.
Family status (a pregnant person, a parent, an acting parent of a child, or a carer of a person with a disability who requires continued care)
If someone treats you less favourably because you have a different family status to someone else.
(Note: some situations falling under this ground may also fall under the gender ground.)
Sexual orientation (heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual orientation)
If someone treats you less favourably because you have a different sexual orientation to someone else.
Age (only applies to those who are aged eighteen years and over)
If someone treats you less favourably because you are older or younger than someone else and it is without a good reason (‘objective justification’).
(Note: this ground does not cover alleged discrimination against children in schools.)
Religious belief (including religious background and those who have no belief)
If someone treats you less favourably because you have a different religion to someone else, or, for example, because you do not have a religion and someone else does.
Membership of the Traveller community
If someone treats you less favourably because you are a member of the Traveller community and someone else is not.
Race (skin colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin)
If someone treats you less favourably because you have a different skin colour, nationality or ethnicity to someone else.
Disability (intellectual, mental and/or physical disability)
If someone treats you less favourably because you have a disability and someone else has a different disability or does not have a disability.
Under the disability ground, please also see information on disability and reasonable accommodation.
If you are trying to access housing or accommodation, there is one extra protected ground:
Housing assistance (including housing assistance payment (HAP), rent supplement or another social welfare payment)
If someone treats you less favourably because you are receiving rent supplement, housing assistance payment (HAP), or another type of social welfare payment and someone else is not.