Legislation to stop schools and hospitals from sacking gay members of staff should be passed before Easter.

The Equality Minister says the change to employment legislation will also cover single parents and people who’re divorced.

Aodhan O’Riordan says staff are afraid to talk about their plans because they fear they’ll be discriminated against:

Last year, Frances Fitzgerald said the government had signed off on amendments to the current law which will be in place by Christmas.

Currently schools are allowed to discriminate against non-heterosexual teachers in order to maintain their religious ethos.

Minister Fitzgerald told a United Nations meeting in Geneva that the Irish Attorney-General has only approved amendments to this law within the last week.